Dirkes John “Dirk” Rolston, born on November 7th, 1932, in Forsyth, Montana, passed away on July 29, 2026, at the age of 93. Dirk was the youngest of three sons born to the late Thomas Herbert Rolston and Regina (Dirkes) Rolston. He was preceded in death by his brothers, Thomas Rolston and William Rolston.
After growing up in Forsyth, Dirk attended the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, where he played football and baseball. Following graduation, he briefly played minor league baseball before serving in the United States Army for two years. During his military service, he began the path that led to a distinguished 30-year career as a physical therapist. He worked in hospitals in Iowa, Montana, and Washington, and later operated independent practices in Aberdeen, Ocean Shores, and Westport, Washington.
Dirk met his wife of 60 years, Jimmie Lee (Laird), while working as a bartender in Estes Park, Colorado. His passions included playing and watching sports, gardening, clam digging, researching the genealogy of his Irish and German ancestors, and traveling with his children and grandchildren.
Dirk’s kindness and generosity touched the lives of friends and family throughout the world. He will be remembered for his warm spirit, his love of family, and the many stories of his baseball days and childhood adventures that he shared over the years.
Dirk is survived by his wife, Jimmie Lee, their two children, Jill Rolston-Yates (Craig Richardson) of Austin, Texas, and Michael Rolston of Arvada, Colorado; three grandchildren, Kian Yates, Teah Yates, and Lena Rolston; and two step-grandchildren, Scott Richardson and Liam Richardson. He is also survived by his nephew, Alan Rolston; nieces Barbara Rolston and Toy Rolston; and several great-nieces and great-nephews.
A memorial service will be held in Austin, Texas on September 26th, 2026. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Parkinson’s Foundation at http://www3.parkinson.org/
2 Responses
JILL AND CRAIG, AND FAMILIES, WE SEND OUR DEEPEST SYMPATHY TO AL L OF YOU.
YOUR FATHER WILL ALWAYS BE LOVED AND NEVER FORGOTTEN.
MAY HIS GENTLE SOUL REST IN PEACE.
OUR SINCERE SYMPATHY. KEN & MADELEINE PURDY, CANADA
Both Dirk and Jimmie Lee shall always reside in my own heart of hearts. They were truly the parents I never had. Dirk is the father I never had, a warm, compassionate, curious soul, absolutely devoted to his family, and a dear friend, to whom I could always go to for emotional support, and whose presence I will miss deeply. I will miss the conversations we had, I will miss his smile, his voice, I will miss his gentleness, and most of all, his warm hugs.
As the father to Kian and Teah, I’ll forever be grateful to him for being the most ideal grandfather they could ever hope to have. He gave all of himself to them, and I could see the absolute joy on his face whenever he was with them.
The last conversation I had with him and Jimmie Lee was in the beginning of June of this year, when we all reminisced about our collaboration on a film I later successfully produced… A Force in Nature: Jóhann Eyfells. If it wasn’t for both of their support, this film would never have been made. It later won Best Documentary at the Hill Country Film Festival in 2018. I dedicate this film to both Dirk and Jimmie Lee’s legacy.
Goodbye Dirk. Thank for all of the laughter and tears we shared together. Thank you for your heart, through to the end of your journey. You are a true gentleman, but most important, a human being who has continuously inspired me to be a better version of myself. I love you Dirk…