Everett Leroy Lynn

On July 31, 2024 Everett Leroy Lynn passed away peacefully at Touchmark in Helena, MT following a long and courageous struggle with declining health.

Born in Wabasso, Minnesota on September 23, 1923, he moved with his family to Redwood Falls Minnesota in 1925. Happy boyhood years were spent bicycling, swimming, ice skating, sledding, camping, family picnics and vacations, and roaming the woodlands of the Redwood River and Alexander Ramsey Park. He graduated from Redwood High School with honors in 1941. In that period, he participated in the Order of DeMolay, high school band and orchestra, lettered in track, and was awarded the rank of Eagle Scout.

Attending the University of Minnesota, he enlisted and served in the V-12 Naval Training program from 1943-1945, and graduated as a Doctor of Dental Surgery in 1946. From 1946-1948 he served as a Lt. (j.g.) in the U.S. Navy Dental Corps at Alameda Naval Air Station, California and at Camp Pendleton, California, being attached to the U.S. Marine Corps. Further military time was spent from 1959-1963 as a Major in the Dental Corps of Helena's U.S. Army, 10th Corp, 396th Station Hospital Reserve unit.

Everett was united in marriage to Wanda Irene Steiner on November 21, 1947, at Los Angeles, California. Their day of marriage was a unique one. They were selected to appear on Bride and Groom, a pre-nuptial program broadcast over WCTN and televised on American Broadcasting Company of Hollywood. Everett and Wanda were bride and groom for sixty two years prior to her death in August 2010.

His 42 years of dental practice included his two Navy years, 2 years in Minnesota and general practice in Helena from 1950 until his retirement in 1988. Everett was a Life Member of the American Dental Association, Montana Dental Association, and an honorary Fellow of the International College of Dentists. The Montana Dental Association recognized his contributions to the community as well as the profession with the T.T Rider Award in 1980 and the prestigious Clinical Dental Excellence Award in 1989. Beyond his love for his family, the practice of dentistry was dearest to his heart of his life's many activities.

Under the auspices of the American Dental Association and the Montana Dental Association he was instrumental in launching Montana's first dental pre-payment plan known as the Delta Dental Plan of Montana in 1969. He became its president and later its executive director until the corporation merged with Utah's Delta Dental Plan in 1975. Following that in 1980 he participated in the Dental Service Plans Insurance Company (DISPIC), a national dental pre-payment plan, as a Montana professional advisory committee member until 1990.

Music was a lifelong hobby and dedication. After moving from Minnesota to Montana he joined the State Capital Band in 1950 and played in it for an astonishing seventy-two concert seasons as the first clarinet. Everett will also be remembered for his stirring verbal recitations of "I Am the United States" at patriotic concerts. His diligence in obtaining publicity, veteran's attendance and programming assistance contributed to the success of the concerts over the years. He also served as a member of the Board of Directors continually from 1968-2020.

During his 1950-1969 years as principal clarinetist in the Helena Symphony, he also served 11 years on its Board of Directors, three of which were as Board President.

Other musical organizations participated in were the U.S Navy V-12 Dance Band, Anything Goes Band, Big Sky Syncopators, Queen City Swing Band, the Dick Merley German Band, New Horizons Band, and Algeria Temple Shrine Band. The Last Chance Dixieland Jazz Band performed music from New Orleans, The Cradle of Jazz, and for the 1983-2014 years it performed at numerous gigs both locally and across Montana and beyond, including jazz festivals and cruises.

He was a member of Ottawa Lodge 51, Helena Lodge # 3, and Helena Valley Scottish Rite. Everett took pride in his twenty-two years as the Scottish Rite Reunion Director and the execution of its ritual. He was coroneted a 33rd Degree Honorary Inspector General in 1993. Associated memberships were Order of the Eastern Star, Algeria Shrine Temple and served 16 years as trustee-secretary of the Consistory Shrine-Temple Association.

His many other activities and interests included Jaycees, Toastmasters, photography, trees, Montana birds, screening for arrowheads in Montana pishkuns, pheasant hunting, Montana, wildflowers, and family genealogy, which he pursued with great dedication and diligence for many years.

The empty nest years brought Everett and Wanda many travel adventures, and included a Caribbean Jazz Cruise, numerous European river boat tours and one to the Nile River in Egypt.

With the sale of his home for sixty five years, Everett moved to Touchmark in Helena in 2021 where he acquired new friends and activities including playing religious hymns on the keyboard piano for the Sunday afternoon church services.

He is survived by his son Stephen (Marcene) Lynn, Whitefish, daughter Barbara Lynn, Helena, grandsons Geoffrey Lynn, Daniel (Sarah) Lynn, Wayne Irion, and Nicholas (Jessica) Irion and three great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his daughter Nancy Lynn Irion in 2002 and wife, Wanda in 2010.

Memorials may be sent to the Algeria Shrine Transportation Fund, State Capital Band, Boy Scouts of America, or a gift to the organization of your choice. A memorial service will be held at a later date to be announced. Please visit www.aswfuneralhome.com to offer a condolence to the family or to share a memory of Everett.