BILLINGS — Bruce Robertson, who served as head boys basketball coach at Laurel for 17 seasons, passed away on Saturday, Oct. 21, in Bozeman. He was 67.
According to his obituary, Robertson was born in Havre in 1955 and was a three-sport athlete in Big Sandy, winning a state wrestling championship. He attended Carroll College to play basketball before a knee injury forced his retirement. Robertson graduated from Carroll in 1978.
Robertson began his teaching and coaching career in Choteau before moving on to Laurel High School where he was a coaching mainstay with the boys basketball program for 20 years, serving as as head coach from 1984 to 2001.
According to a 2001 article published in The Billings Gazette, Robertson went 202-117 as head coach of the Locomotives. He guided the team to the state tournament eight times, winning three trophies. Robertson and Laurel lost to Whitefish 79-66 in the 1991 Class A state championship game.
Robertson is preceded in death by his son Aaron, his father Walter, his mother Margaret and mother-in-law Connie, his obituary states. He is survived by Kerrie, his wife of 45 years, his son Cole, his daughter-in-law Abbi and grandchildren Koi, Rigly, Aaro and Olive. A memorial service is planned for Nov. 11 at 11 a.m. at the Swift River Ranch in Billings.
