Born in Minneapolis April 9, 1929, George Selover attended and graduated from The Blake School and Princeton University, where he earned a degree in theoretical economics. He met his wife, Patty, in Minneapolis, and they married in 1951 after graduation. Although Patty’s father owned dealerships in several states, Minnesota was his home base. He talked the couple into moving to Billings in 1955, so George could run a Buick dealership for him. In 2006, George told The Gazette that the move “was undoubtedly the best move we ever made.” George was 26, and he soon felt extremely fortunate to be living in Billings. Ten years later, he bought the dealership and renamed it Selover Buick.

George and Patty also became the parents of three daughters: Sally Brucker, Mary Underriner and Lucy Walton. More recently, they welcomed seven grandchildren who called him Poppie. Like so many dealers, they valued family and loved the community where they lived. Becoming active in the community was a natural result. George sold his dealership to his daughter Mary and Mary’s husband, Bill, in 2001, when George decided to retire.

In 2006, five years after his retirement, George was included on a “most influential” list.

George enjoyed solving problems, and he often used his skills to sell cars, run his business and serve the community. He added new franchises, had more than 50 employees and was deeply involved in making his community a better place to live. He soon had a reputation for getting things done, but George viewed his service as reciprocal. He said, “Billings has done a lot for me; I feel I should give Billings something in return.” He was often referred to as “Mr. Billings.”

George served as a board member and chair for many organizations. A partial list includes:

• The school district
• Rocky Mountain College
• The Chamber of Commerce
• The Billings Clinic Foundation
• The Federal Reserve Board.

George was a board member of the Helena Chapter of the Minneapolis Fed and the Montana Auto Dealers Association. He was a founding member of the insurance trust and was selected as Montana’s Time Dealer of the Year. Also, he was the chair and Citizen of the Year of the United Way.

In 1988, George received the Phillip F. Fortin Philanthropist of the Year Award, and in 2019 Montana State University’s Business Hall of Fame inducted him for his professional work and community service. A partial list of his community service included the Billings Jaycees, the Downtown Billings Rotary Club and the YMCA. George also supported organizations that included the American Cancer Society, Billings Public Library and Montana State University Billings.

George died Monday, April 20, 2020, in Billings. He was 91.