Thomas Preston

Thomas “Tom” Charles Preston passed away peacefully in the presence of his children at his Billings Heights home of nearly fifty years on April 24, 2026. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, on July 2, 1943, he was the eldest child of Elmer and Elizabeth (Schroeder) Preston. He is preceded in death by his parents and his wife, Elizabeth “Liz” (Benge) Preston. He is survived by his three children and six grandchildren: Col. Thomas Preston, USAF (Col. Alexandria Preston, USAF, ret.), Aurora (15) and Savannah (11), currently of Anchorage, Alaska; Jennifer Peter (Brian), Tristan (20) and Lillia (18) of Billings, Montana; and Elizabeth Morrissey (Sean), Madeline (13) and Charles (9) of Aurora, Illinois. He is also survived by his sisters and brother, Jane Preston, James Preston, and Kathryn Preston, all of Colorado. And, he leaves behind his blue 1981 Nissan Z 280x. 

Although Tom was a Montanan through and through, his experiences before arriving here shaped his character in profound ways. He received a proper Catholic education in grade school, seminary and high school, graduating at 16 from Cleveland’s Cathedral Latin High School before attending Duquesne University. Following that, he served in the U.S. Navy for two years as an electrical technician aboard the USS Picket. Upon being honorably discharged, he traded his red MG for a Chevy Corvair, which he raced to victory in a special event at Watkins Glen International. Born with a voice for radio, he spent time working in broadcast on the East Coast (notably at KDKA Pittsburgh, the first radio station east of the Mississippi) before finally adventuring westward. He was headed for Washington, but his car broke down on the way, so he wound up staying put to earn his MBA at Montana State University in Bozeman. It was by chance that he met Liz, a Wisconsin native, on a tour bus to Yellowstone National Park while she was attending summer school at MSU. Enamored with both Liz and the Big Sky State, Tom settled there permanently, inspiring the rest of the Preston family to migrate West as well.

In addition to earning his instrument-rated private pilot’s license and taking advantage of all the Montana wilderness had to offer, Tom taught business at the Billings Vocational Technical Center in the late 70s and early 80s before embarking on the entrepreneurial adventure of a lifetime: launching Discovery Publishing and self-publishing dozens of painstakingly researched campground guides that encompassed the entire American West. In the name of research, he and his family traveled over 100,000 miles in their 1979 Chevy van, visiting every public campground from the Pacific Northwest to the Desert Southwest. On more than one occasion, Tom repaired the van along the roadside with nothing but a few tools and his encyclopedic mechanical know-how.

Professional achievements, however, were nothing compared to the pride Tom felt in raising his three children. Career Air Force officer “Tommy,” licensed youth counselor “Jenni,” and fellow wordsmith “Betsy” each credit him with shaping their lives and inspiring their professions in different ways. As proud as he was of his children, he was even prouder of his six unique and impressive grandkids, all of whom have grown up with the same affinity for travel and adventure. 

In  retirement, Tom dabbled in sailing, continued to eat homemade pizza and watch Star Trek: The Next Generation every Saturday night, and taught himself the art of baking sourdough bread long before it was trendy. 

Tom’s final wish, to be buried beneath six feet of Montana soil, will be carried out via a private service at the Yellowstone National Cemetery in Laurel. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the National Park Conservation Association, www.npca.org.