Kyle Rott, 36, passed away as the result of an ice climbing accident on Saturday, November 25, 2023, in Bozeman, MT. A Celebration of Life will be held at 2:00 P.M. on Saturday, December 2 at Spitzer Miller Funeral Home in Aberdeen, SD. The family will spread his ashes privately at a later date. Upcoming details for a Celebration of Life in Bozeman will be announced.
Kyle Allen Rott was born on February 11, 1987, in Denver, CO to Joel and Janet (Kasper) Rott. Kyle grew up in Aberdeen, SD. In 2003, when Kyle was a junior in high school his family moved to Brookings, SD so he attended one year of school at Brookings High School before moving back to Aberdeen for a few months to finish high school there, a semester early, in December of 2004. He moved to Missoula, MT and attended the University of Montana in Spring 2005.
Kyle marched to the beat of his own drum and was eager to venture off and embrace his free-spiritedness. Although he was a very hard worker, he worked to live so he traveled and found various jobs that allowed him to embark on adventures and live on his own terms. When he left college, he moved to the Wolf Keep Wildlife Sanctuary near Missoula and spent a year working at this facility caring for the wolves. He attended the NordBlom Institute of FootZonology in Livingston, MT. He assisted in filming an IMAX movie. In California, he worked on various farms, worked on a crew that reclaimed rivers, and was as a climbing guide at Yosemite National Park. In Montana, he worked for Montana Alpine Guides. He also did various things for friends such as house and pet sitting, painting, yardwork and many, many other various things.
When Kyle moved to Montana after high school he found a part of him that he didn’t know he’d been missing - a deep love for mountains, climbing, and exploration. While Kyle’s grace and talent were always on display as he climbed, it was never a competition about being the best. A successful day of climbing for Kyle was one filled with friends and smiles. Kyle’s travels took him to mountains across the western United States and Alaska. Some of his favorite places to climb were the Black Hills of South Dakota, Devil’s Tower in Wyoming, Yosemite Valley in California, and Hyalite Canyon in Montana. In each of these places, Kyle built a deep community of like-minded friends who quickly became part of his extended family.
Kyle had many other passions as well. He loved to learn. He loved music, particularly bluegrass, and he played the mandolin. He loved to ski but if it wasn’t treacherous backcountry skiing it was probably too boring for him. He had a deep love and respect for all animals. He loved plants and gardening. He also had a passion for pursuing good health. He loved to talk about his passions to anyone who showed interest and could go on for hours about the things he loved. He was very kind and caring. He loved to help people he loved in any way he knew how.
Kyle will be deeply missed by his many family members and countless friends from all over. He is survived by his mother, Janet Rott of Brookings, SD; his sister, Sydney (Benjamin) Chapman and a niece, Hattie Chapman of Brookings, SD; his grandmother, Janice Rott of Aberdeen, SD; and many aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends. Kyle was preceded in death by his father, Joel Rott; grandparents, John “Jack” and Beverly Kasper, Courtney Rott Sr., and Mae Braunstein.
Arrangements are in the care of Dokken-Nelson Funeral Service. www.dokkennelson.com [dokkennelson.com]
