Richard Lyle Bomgardner passed away Easter Sunday, April 4, 2021, at age 83 in Billings, Montana. He was born to Arnold and Hazel (Harvey) Bomgardner on June 25, 1937 in Wheatland, Wyoming.

He graduated from Wheatland High School in 1955. During high school, Lyle became a pilot and upon graduation moved to Geraldine, Montana and began flying for an aerial spraying company.

In 1958 he married Patricia Clark and they moved back to Wheatland, Wyoming. Three children were born to this union, Dennis, Denise and Dean. While living in Wyoming, Lyle worked for his dad in his TV shop and piloted an army surplus Fairchild PT23 owned by his flight instructor, John Fryback, in which he did aerial spraying. Lyle and Pat divorced a few years later.

Lyle returned to the Geraldine area and began farming for Matt and Cubby Buck. In the early '70s, he began driving truck out of Great Falls, Montana. He drove for various trucking outfits until the early '80s, when he relocated once again, this time to Billings, Montana.

He worked for Duane and JoAnn Ostermiller at Ostermiller House Moving for a short while before going to work for a large corporate farming operation in the area for eight years during the summers and early fall. He started with American Drivers Service in the fall of 1988 on the sugar beet rehaul. The rehaul lasted from mid-September to January or February each winter and Lyle worked more than 20 campaigns. From 1995-1998 during the summers, Lyle was a driver instructor for North American Van Lines. He semi-retired in 1999, continuing the beet rehaul in the winters. In 2009 Lyle completely retired.

Lyle met Leah Ostermiller and her two daughters, Rachel and Jessica, while working for Ostermiller House Moving in 1986. They were married in March of 1993 and have resided in Billings since.

Lyle was preceded in death by his parents, Arnold and Hazel (Harvey) Bomgardner.

He is survived by his loving wife, Leah, and her two girls, Rachel (Craig) Lyon and Jessica (Pedro) Sosa, as well as Dennis (Josina) Bomgardner, Denise (Robin) Marcussen and Dean (Chandee) Bomgardner and 33 grandkids, great-grandkids and great-great-grandkids.

Donations in his memory can be made to the Chouteau County Cancer Support Group.

Graveside services will be announced at a later date.