Suzanne Bahny, 70
On Sunday, Dec. 5, 2021, Suzanne Bahny acquired her angel wings. She fought a very long and hard battle with cancer.
She was born on Sept. 12, 1951, in Ronan. to Norman and Barbara (Lindblöm) Knudson, and was the oldest of three adventurous girls, who spent their childhood fearless on the backs of horses in the mountains of the Mission Valley.
Suzanne graduated high school in 1969 and, shortly after, married Kenneth Snyder and together they had three children, Charlotte, Jason and Staci. During this time, she worked at St. Luke Hospital in Ronan alongside her mother in the Radiology Department and became an accomplished X-ray tech, and eventually the head of the department.
After they divorced, she met and married Greg Bahny in Kalispell, and went on to become an accomplished ultrasound and C/T technologist at North Valley Hospital in Whitefish.
They moved to Helena to begin a new chapter in their lives, where they got horses and wagons and enjoyed wagon trains and back country adventures in the mountains of Montana and Wyoming.
Together they purchased the UPS Store franchise and Suzanne used her management skills to build that business.
They eventually traded the wagon in for a motorhome and began their travels. They spent falls along the Oregon coast and winters in the Southwest. She especially loved Yuma, Arizona, and the many new friends she met along the way.
She cherished every one of her grandchildren and made each and every one feel special.
The holidays were her favorite, particularly Christmas, where she would spend days decorating and cooking and always made arrangements with Santa to stop by and visit during the family gathering. Every child and grandchild looked forward to that annual event.
She acquired the nickname of “Martha” from her children and friends because of her elaborate decorations and parties she loved to host, whether beside a mountain stream or in her home, or helping her husband with special real estate events.
There was a time when they packed into the Bob Marshall Wilderness, and one of the meals planned by her took an extra pack animal to make that meal and presentation memorable for all. One of the group members even packed in ice cream to compliment her meal.
Suzanne was selfless and had a huge, loving heart. She was unforgettable and beautiful in so many ways. She will be missed by all who knew and loved her.
She is survived by her husband Greg Bahny, children Charlotte Snyder (Mike Liedle), Jason Snyder ( Korrie Shourds), Staci Martin ( Steve), Russ Bahny, Lisa Andersen (Matt), as well as grandchildren Wyatt and Travis Robertson, Trevor, Zachary and Brandon Snyder, Jaden and Brittney McNair, Kaitlyn, Shelbi and Hayleigh Bahny, Dylan and Sawyer Andersen, and great-grandchild Beau Bahny Meyers.
She was preceded in death by her parents and sister Ann Croft.
A celebration of life is being held on Saturday, Dec. 11 at 1 p.m. at Anderson Wilke Stevenson Funeral Home in Helena, with a reception to follow.
In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the American Cancer Society or a donor of your choice. Please visit www.aswfuneralhome.com to offer a condolence to the family or to share a memory of Suzanne.