Robert D. Montanye, commonly known as Bob, was born in Tuxedo, New York, on October 27, 1950. He was the second of three children (Jan, Bob, and Bill) belonging to Robert Montanye and Florence Pennington. As Bob was growing up, the Montanyes lived on a golf course in Tuxedo Park. Robert worked as a steward of the fairways and greens and all of his children helped. They loved the golf course and spent much time golfing together as a family. Bob would fish with his father and brother, who were avid outfitters, but his true passion was music. Starting at a young age, he played the guitar and sang brilliantly, often performing at local events and community get-togethers.
After finishing high school, Bob attended SUNY Binghamton and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Theater in 1972. From Binghamton, he moved to New York City, where he would live and work as a chef for well over a decade. During this time, Bob actually worked casting parties for Saturday Night Live, personally serving actors and comedians the likes of Eddie Murphy.
Once he left New York City, Bob moved to Florida for a while, where he enjoyed the sun and continued working in the food service industry. However, he couldn’t resist the call of Montana, which was where his mother had been born and where the rest of his family was living. Florence had grown up in Townsend and later in life, she and Robert bought a bar called The Bunk House in Toston. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Bob and Bill would open up Montanye’s Dearborn Country Inn and Trading Post, which was a vibrant bar and restaurant. It was during this time that Bob joined the local Western band known as “The Outriders.” They were very talented and had a loyal fanbase.
In 1993, Bob met Janey Johnson, a young woman who had just moved to the Dearborn area and accepted a job at the Country Inn and Trading Post. At the time, Bob was studying to join the Episcopalian priesthood. Meeting Janey changed things. By 1994, Bob and Janey were married and expecting their first daughter, Tessa Florence Rae. In the early 2000s, Bob and Janey worked together to run Isaac’s in Craig, MT. In 2002, Bob and Janey welcomed their second child, Madeleine Elizabeth. From Craig, the duo moved onto Wolf Creek, where they would own and operate the Oasis Bar and Cafe until Bob’s retirement in 2013. It was around that time that Bob was diagnosed with Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis.
Bob spent the last 12 years fighting to continue living a joyful and fulfilling life in the face of his slow decline. He often said that “getting old isn’t for the faint of heart,” and he was brave until the end. He passed on in the early hours of the morning on May 16, 2026. Bob is survived by his siblings, Jan and Bill, his wife, Janey, and his daughters, Tessa and Madeleine. Bob and Janey were married for 32 years before he passed. Their children were his pride and joy. Both girls have followed in their father’s footsteps. Tessa is a talented artist and musician, as is Madeleine, who attended university in hopes of pursuing writing and the humanities.
Bob will be missed dearly and remembered as a wonderful brother, partner, husband, father, and man. He was truly one of a kind.
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