Lynne Madding Moyse-O'Hara

Lynne Madding Moyse-O'Hara, 79, passed at her home in Great Falls, MT on January 8, 2023, adhering to her long-held opinion that no one should die, give birth, or get married between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day.  A mass will be held for her in at St. Ann’s Cathedral on Friday, January 27 at noon.  An additional mass for the repose of her soul will be held at Trinitas Chapel with Father Oliver on Sunday, January 29th at 11:00 AM.  Her remains will be interred in Riverview Cemetery, Hamilton MT.

A fourth-generation child of the Bitterroot Valley, Lynne was born November 8, 1943, to Jack and Dora Bea (Roberts) Burnett, as her father completed medical school in Seattle, WA. Her great grandmother, Mrs. John (Julia) Fitzgibbon, daughter of valley founder Samuel “Squire” Madding, raised Lynne during most of her formative years in Hamilton, MT, instilling a settler’s toughness that would carry her throughout life.

Lynne attended school in Hamilton for most of her education but graduated from Robert E. Lee High School in Virginia after moving to live with her mother for a year. Receiving an honorable discharge from the Navy, she returned to Montana, and worked as a Nurse Aide for several years at the Old Columbus hospital in Great Falls.  While visiting a friend in Denver, she met and then married James Reinhold Bender, the father of her two brilliant daughters, early in 1970.

In 1977, she moved to the Monterey Bay area, where she married radio personality and former racecar driver, Michael Steven Moyse.  Her polished communications skills came to the forefront as she worked in many roles at KMBY Radio, then later in law enforcement.  During her tenure with the Carmel-by-the-Sea Police department, she received her five-year service pin from then-mayor Clint Eastwood, as well as a Commendation for Exemplary Service.  In 1986 she returned to Great Falls for good, working in radio at KQDI, then as a dispatcher for various organizations, retiring from Diamond Cab in 2016.

Lynne loved the outdoors, often camping near the airstrip at Benchmark, or King’s Hill.  She was an avid birdwatcher, often spending hours at Giant Springs, and defending her bird feeders from marauding squirrels with her trusty carpet rake. Ever the restless soul, Lynne began flight lessons in 1990, meeting her good friend and fellow student, Laurie (Dower) Woodard.  She soloed in 1991, obtaining her license in 1992.  A devoted Catholic in her later years, Lynne prayed daily for anyone who was in need. In her spare time, she attended local music events frequently, as she adored classical music.  She was a voracious reader, a gifted cruciverbalist, and a fierce Scrabble opponent.

Lynne is preceded in death by her adoring husband, Ronald Lee O’Hara; her parents, and the many felines who shared her life over the decades.  She is survived by her two daughters: Julia Elizabeth Madding Webb (Christopher), Cheney, KS; Joy Lynne Geller (Lee), Great Falls, MT; their father, James R. Bender (Suzanne), Cheney, KS; her step-daughters, Samantha O’Hara, and Summer GunHammer, both of Great Falls, MT; grandchildren Donovan Webb; Moyrah, Graeme, Tristan, and Adrian Geller; Max Battleson; Daniel and Gabrielle O’Hara; John GunHammer III; and great grandson,  Alistair Ramsey Manalon.  She is also survived by her dear friend Hallie Frost, of Great Falls, MT; and best friend and co-conspirator since childhood, Cherie (Mitchell) Vadheim, who still resides in the Bitterroot with her husband, Marc.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the River’s Edge Trail Foundation or the Steve Olson Orchestra Scholarship Fund.

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