Robert Duane Ballantyne

In gratitude for one final Father’s Day together, Bob Ballantyne passed into eternal life on Sunday, June 16, amidst the love of his family.

Born in Westhope, ND, to Theodore and Velma, Bob grew up a farm kid alongside his six brothers and sisters. His family owned the local grain elevator in Kuroki, ND, where, as an enterprising child, he would sell Cokes at 10¢ apiece to hot, thirsty farm workers delivering their crops.

Upon graduating high school, he began work as a roughneck in the oil fields of North Dakota. Oil work would become Bob’s life, up to the day he died. He worked from the bottom-up on oil rigs, supervising in the office, to partnering, operating and eventually owning his own company for the last 39 years: RB Oil.

Bob married Frances Roberge in 1961. Following Bob and his oil field work, Bob and Francy made Billings their permanent home after their daughter, Brenda, was born. Spending her childhood in the oil fields of the western states with her dad, Brenda later worked alongside her father at RB Oil. Bob and Francy delighted in their travels together. From the early days of picnics in Glacier while Bob was drilling in northern Montana to the later years when road trips took them to every corner of America. Frequently, stops were made to expand their genealogy records.

One of Bob’s great joys was the arrival of his only granddaughter, Danielle. A Bob and Danielle adventure could last entire days together, whether playing on the floor, outside in the yard, road trips in the car, whenever and wherever they were together. Bob, a convivial yet notorious storyteller of half-truths, would answer any question from his granddaughter on any subject, in great depth. It would be well into her adulthood when she discovered that, just maybe, she had been misled about some of these items!

In his last years, Grandpa Bob’s love of story and play grew with his four great-grandchildren. He would tell stories of the oil fields, the farm, and his family and friends growing up and throughout his life. He would build Lego models, play with toy cars, and spend countless hours in the game room playing pool and “gambling” with the kids at the punch board. Somehow, they always came home with more of Grandpa’s money! “Lost again,” he’d say in his singsong voice to a squeal of laughter.

Of special note are Kent and Brandon Nehring, his nephew and great-nephew respectively, and the Nehring family, Bob’s fellow farm partners in Bottineau, ND. For decades, Bob managed his farm interests from a distance with the support of Kent and Brandon making annual trips to the farm. Damon Ballantyne, Bob’s nephew, whose relationship grew while attending Rocky Mountain College and continued into adulthood through their mutual interest in business. Last, for all those living and past who spent hours on the phone conversing with Bob, particularly his siblings.

Bob predeceases his wife of 62 years, Francy; daughter, Brenda; granddaughter and her husband, Danielle and Adam Liberty, and their children, Cooper, Sophia, Marshall and Bennett; sister Betty Adams; and brother and sister-in-law Curt Hill and Shirley Ballantyne, respectively.

He is preceded in death by his parents Ted and Velma Ballantyne; brothers Bill (Masa), Jerry and Jim (who worked with Bob in their early careers and bonded over oil during their lifetimes) Ballantyne; sisters Gladys (Bud) Nehring and Marlene Hill; and brother-in-law Ralph Adams.

A graveside family service took place at Calvary Cemetery at St. Pius X Catholic Church on Wednesday, June 26, 2024. For those wishing to memorialize Bob, a gift to the Billings Catholic Schools Foundation at PO Box 31158, Billings, MT 59107 or billingscatholicschoolsfoundation.org.