Stephen "Steve" Aaron Kramer, M.D.

After a long, happy and adventurous life, Steve Kramer died peacefully on January 19th in his adopted hometown of Billings, Montana. Steve was a longstanding pillar of the medical community – an accomplished surgeon and otolaryngologist (ie, ENT/ear, nose and throat specialist), he retired in 2015 as the longest serving physician in the history of the Billings Clinic.

But Steve Kramer was far more than just a doctor. Having been born and raised the son of a sportswriter in Boston, Massachusetts, Steve loved watching and playing sports, riding motorcycles and taking advantage of the abundant outdoor opportunities that Montana presented: hiking, camping, skiing, river rafting, fishing and more. He truly enjoyed introducing his children to those same opportunities and watching them grow through their own involvement in the outdoors, sports, academics and other activities.

Steve also believed strongly in giving back to his community through volunteering. As a doctor, he contributed substantial time to visiting the Crow Indian Reservation and rural Montana, providing medical assistance to underserved populations. He also dedicated time and resources to causes as diverse as Planned Parenthood, Congregation Beth Aaron, Meals on Wheels and the Friends of Pompeys Pillar. He was a committed Little League umpire, even long after his own children had graduated from youth baseball, and he once received the honor of being asked to umpire in the Little League Western Regional Tournament in San Bernadino, California.

Steve’s life in Billings was a devoted partnership with his wife, Marilyn, who grew up with him in their hometown of Boston. The two went to high school together but didn’t start dating until Steve had graduated from Brown University and entered medical school at Tufts University. From their native Massachusetts, the two then embarked on a lifelong journey that took them to a medical internship at the University of Minnesota – where daughter Holly was born – to a stint in the U.S. Air Force in Topeka, Kansas – where son Andrew was born – and back to New England for Steve’s final ENT residency at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut.

Steve and Marilyn moved to Billings in 1971 and built a life here that is best reflected in the many dear friendships they developed along the way.  Throughout their 50+ years of life in Montana, their love of travel also took them on many exciting adventures, including trips to all seven continents, many of which they shared with close family and friends.

Steve is survived by Marilyn and his children and their families: Holly’s husband Malcolm and daughter Jesse, and Andrew’s wife Brett and their sons Oliver and Channing; and also by his younger brother Joel and his wife Dana and their family.

The Kramer family requests that, if you wish to honor Steve’s memory, please make a donation to one of the organizations that was important to him:  Congregation Beth Aaron, Friends of Pompeys Pillar, Meals on Wheels or Planned Parenthood.

Funeral Services will be held at Congregation Beth Aaron, Sunday January 26th at 11 A.M.