James Harry McMilin
11/13/47 – 9/20/25
Jim’s courageous seven-year battle with cancer came to a peaceful close on the evening of September 20, 2025. We rejoice that we were together as a family, and that he is now Home with his precious Lord and Savior.
Jim was born in Bozeman, Montana, on November 13, 1947, to Lee and Betty McMilin, joining his big sister, Connie. The family lived in a small apartment above their family business, Lee & Dad’s—the first home of Belgrade’s long-time community grocery store. It was a lively, warm beginning, rooted in family, community, and hard work.
Jim loved the Gallatin Valley and everything this place has to offer. As very young kids, he met the feisty daughter of John and Evelyn Vickrey—Vickie—who once pushed him out of her dad’s Navy hammock. Their dads played baseball together; no one then knew Jim and Vickie would spend the rest of their lives side by side.
Like all boys of the time, Jim loved sports and the outdoors. He loved riding his bike north of Belgrade to fish and hunt. He also loved playing football with his beloved Panthers. Jim and Vickie eventually settled on property along the very creek he had roamed as a boy, where they built their home and shared decades together.
Jim’s love for the outdoors, and especially for hunting, became a defining passion. He bagged his first elk after pedaling his bike north into the Bridgers and then riding back to town to find a friend with a driver’s license to help retrieve it. That early spark grew into a lifelong pursuit that took him across Montana and far beyond—to Alaska, the Yukon, British Columbia, Alberta, and even on a bucket-list safari in Zambia with one of his dearest friends, “Felix”, bringing home over a dozen trophies.
Jim started working for his dad and grandfather at Lee & Dad’s at a very early age. Wanting to hone his craft, he later attended the National School of Meat Cutting in Toledo to complete his formal training as a meat cutter, before returning home to continue the family legacy. While working hard at the store, he also took time to serve his country in the National Guard for six years. In time, he took over ownership of Lee & Dad’s and devoted himself to building the business and nurturing the growth of his beloved community. Jim was proud of his industry, serving a term as president of the Montana Food Distributors Association. He had many business interests with trusted partners. His devotion to his community was evident not only through his work but also in his countless efforts—most memorably, the 25 years he and Vickie devoted to leading the Fall Festival BBQ.
At forty and a half years old, Jim experienced the most profound change of his life when he came to know his Lord and Savior. His faith became a cornerstone, guiding his actions and bringing him peace. He was baptized in the icy waters of an Alaskan mountain lake and later became a devoted member of Dry Creek Bible Church, where he formed lifelong bonds with fellow believers.
Heather and Ross inherited their love of sports and the outdoors from their dad Jim. They played baseball on the fields that they helped him build. They have many fond memories of camping, their dad skiing in wool pants, scuba diving in Mexico, fishing and hunting. They credit their love of family, strength in leadership, and core value of integrity modeled in his actions and hard work through daily examples.
Faithful companions from the hammock to high school and another 55 years of marriage, Jim and Vickie lived a full and wonderful life together. They traveled, worked side by side at Lee & Dad’s, raised a family and most importantly shared their faith journey at Dry Creek Bible Church.
Jim spent his retirement years in a place he loved with the person he loved most. He enjoyed puttering around his ranch, loving all the critters – horses, cats, dogs and the deer, cranes, pheasants and the occasional Elk that wandered through his spotting scope.
Jim is survived by his wife Vickie McMilin, daughter Heather McMilin and wife Jennifer Clary, son Ross McMilin, sister Connie Bennett and husband Joe. Nephews include Lonnie Bennett and his wife Shawna, their children Brooklyn and her husband Micheal and Elizabeth, Wade Bennett and his children Ashly Tubbs and husband Riley and their children Trippe and Pennington, Hailee and Haiden. Nieces include Sheryl Peck and her husband Pete, their children Courtney, Trevor and his wife Alex and their children Tucker and Tayden, Michelle Cole and her husband Shawn and their children Skyler and her husband Keegan, Cerissa and Camber.
A Graveside Service is planned for 2 P.M., October 9, 2025, at Sunset Hills Cemetery. The family requests that memorial donations be made in Jim’s name to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital: online at stjude.org or mailed to P.O. Box 1000, Dept. 142, Memphis, TN 38148.
Arrangements are in the care of Dokken-Nelson Funeral Service. www.dokkennelson.com
