Robert Peyton Hovey was born December 29, 1942, in Wolf Point, Montana. He was the second son of Lawrence Robert Hovey and Jennie (Bess) Hovey.
Bob graduated from Wolf Point High School in 1960. Music was always one of Bob’s main interests. After high school he attended Waldorf College in Iowa, and then transferred to the University of Minnesota. While living in Minneapolis he became an auditor for the Bank of St. Paul.
During the Vietnam War he joined the Navy and served on the USS Proteus, a nuclear submarine tender. He finished his tour of duty at the Navy Postgraduate Center in Monterey, CA. He returned to Billings and opened the Shakey’s Pizza Restaurant. With his interest in music he formed a Dixieland band and sang in a barbershop quartet. Shakey’s was very popular.
Bob then formed a partnership with Agnes O’Leary and bought the Chamber of Commerce building downtown Billings. They managed to renovate the building and get it designated as a historical landmark. Bob then opened a restaurant on the lower level of the building called Cellar 301. At the time it was the only Mobil rated three-star restaurant in Montana.
He was interested in art and antiques and active in the Montana Historical Society. After his restaurant closed he helped manage the Corte Fiesta Hotel Apartments in Tempe, Arizona. Several years later after returning to his home in Billings, Montana, Bob suffered a stroke and moved to St. John’s Chapel Court, where he has lived for the past 10 years. He passed away peacefully on February 1, 2019. Bob will be greatly missed by his friends and family. A graveside service will be held in Wolf Point in the spring.