Warren Jeffrey "Jeff" Herman

Warren Jeffrey Herman, 73, a lifelong resident of Missoula, passed away at home on May 31st after a contentious battle with COPD. “Jeff” was born in Missoula in 1943 to Alta and Harold Herman, the third and youngest child, after brother Val and sister Carol. Jeff’s first claim to fame, aside from when he played hooky on his very first day of school because his “heart quit beating,” was as the Missoula Timberjacks’ batboy in the late 1950s, where he got to know players like Charley Pride, Jim Kaat, Jack McKeon, and many others. A 1961 graduate of MCHS, Jeff next attended the University of Montana, studying journalism and history. Jeff served for four years in the United States Air Force beginning in 1965, mainly stationed in Aviano, Italy. On December 18, 1965, he married the love of his life, Susan Williams, also a Missoula native; they recently celebrated their 51st wedding anniversary.
He began his full-time 32-year career at the Missoulian newspaper in 1970, where he proceeded to work in many capacities including sports editor, columnist, reporter, feature writer, copy editor and special projects editor. He founded the state’s first weekly Outdoors section and wrote several fly-fishing publications. Jeff received the Missoulian’s first ever Pulitzer Prize nomination with colleague John Stromnes in 1977, nominated by the President of Long Beach State University, for a series of articles on mail-order and phony credits for college athletes, that had ramifications on college sports throughout the West. He was the first sportswriter in the state to cover horse racing on a regular basis and in 1986 was given an award by the Fair Board and United Tote for his efforts and contributions. Jeff was a meticulous, curious and focused editor, grilling writers about their story to make sure they’d checked this fact or asked that question. In those pre-internet days, fact-checking could involve calling a historian or public official at midnight to find an answer; Jeff did it without apology. Off deadline he loved his practical jokes – like sending newsroom newbies to other departments searching for ever-elusive “page stretchers” to squeeze more news into the paper. He also enjoyed many years of the annual costumed “Fups” softball tournament with his fun-loving Missoulian colleagues.
Jeff had an innate interest in the outdoors and had memorable encounters with wild creatures: he was bitten by a rattlesnake, bluff-charged by an angry black bear, kicked by an elk, run over by a horse (at least twice), and kissed by a giraffe. He enjoyed a lifelong passion for fly fishing on the East Fork of the Bitterroot, harvesting salmon flies on the Blackfoot, bird hunting, and was an avid fan of college and professional sports, particularly for his beloved Philadelphia Phillies (including a surprise 50th birthday trip to Philadelphia in 1993 to see them win the National League Championship Series). Jeff was passionate about music including favorite artists Buddy Holly & Creedence Clearwater Revival. He was an avid reader, with a particular interest in Western history and Civil War history, and took a memorable excursion to Gettysburg with his wife, sister, and brother-in-law during the 1993 Phillies trip. He also enjoyed researching family ancestry, playing cribbage and pinochle, golfing, summertime water balloon and unlawful bottle-rocket battles, the occasional M-80 blast, friendly pranks, clever puns, tracking the weather in detailed weather diaries, telling embellished and highly improbable stories, and spending quality time with his wife, two children, daughter-in-law, and four grandchildren, along with a motley assortment of beloved family pets, including dogs, snakes, gerbils (one of whom he resuscitated), and lizards. He was very proud of his 34-year sobriety achievement and of quitting smoking 31 years ago. “It may seem selfish, but my sobriety is the most important thing in my life. Without it, I wouldn’t have a life.”
He is preceded in death by his mother Alta, his father Harold, and his brother Val.
He is survived by his wife Sue of Missoula; sister Carol Creelman of Bigfork; children Jeff Herman (Mary) of Denver and Amy Herman of Port Orchard, WA; grandchildren Cullen Shoquist, Benen Shoquist, Sophia Herman and Katherine Herman; and many nieces and nephews and extended family members.
A celebration of Jeff’s life is currently planned for 3:00pm on June 30th at Garden City Funeral Home.