One of Lemoore's most active and honored citizens, Lynda Lahodny, died Sunday in Hanford

To say she was one of Lemoore’s most notable citizens is a bit of an understatement. The personal and active Lahodny, since her arrival in Lemoore in 1982 with husband Dean, immediately set about placing her stamp on her new home.

Lynda Lahodny was born in Glendale, California, and attended Sylmar High School. The academically minded Lynda met her future husband Dean at the North Valley YMCA in San Fernando.

The former teacher, who completed a bachelor’s degree in sociology from California State University, Northridge, also earned a California teaching credential. She taught at Kit Carson School before leaving the education profession and entering Lemoore’s downtown business community, where she opened the popular storefront business, Cards a Lemoore.

Years later, Lahodny opened another store in the downtown, Décor a Lemoore.

To say Lahodny was a powerful presence in the community is an understatement. An active member of the Lemoore Chamber of Commerce and a booster of local civic organizations, including local law enforcement, Lemoore citizens began noticing the friendly and persistent businesswoman with a friendly demeanor and an infectious laugh.

In 1995 the Lemoore Chamber of Commerce awarded her its prestigious Citizen of the Year Award. The awards and honors quickly began piling up. In 1994 she was also named the Kings County Peace Officers’ Association Citizen of the Year based on her work with Lemoore’s Graffiti Task Force and the local DARE program.

The California State Senate also named her its Woman of the Year for the 16thSenate District. She also was named the Lemoore High School Business/Education Partner of the Year.

She was also a guiding light behind many of the colorful murals that were created in Lemoore's downtown area.

She wasn’t about to withdraw from the limelight. She ran for and won a seat on the Lemoore City Council in 1998, subsequently winning a second term before resigning in 2004 because she and her husband Dean built a home outside the Lemoore city limits.

Following her resignation from the Lemoore City Council, she accepted the Lemoore Chamber’s executive director job in 2005.

However, her husband, Dean, suggests that perhaps her happiest times were spent as a member and president of the Sarah Mooney Museum Board of Directors, where she worked to restore and preserve one of Lemoore’s historically significant homes.

Her family has not set a date for a funeral or remembrance. Due to COVID-19, her husband, Dean Lahodny, said that because she had so many friends, he suggested a service might have to wait until the pandemic is no longer an issue.

In the meantime, remembrances or donations can be sent to the Sarah Mooney Museum instead of flowers at P.O. Box 413, Lemoore, CA 93245.