Lloyd Dale Bender was born October 24, 1930, in Tucson, AZ, and died June 6, 2024, of natural causes.  Lloyd graduated from Tucson Senior High and attended the Universities of Arizona, Arkansas and Missouri at Columbia where he was granted a Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics.  His education was interrupted when he was called into the Navy in 1951 during the Korean conflict.

Lloyd was a senior socioeconomic researcher for the Economic Research Service, USDA, specializing in rural economic development in the Ozarks, and then the rapid energy developments of the Northern Great Plains.  While he was with the Economic Research Service, he held simultaneous appointments to the Graduate Schools at Missouri and Montana.  While at Montana State, he led a research team with members in Washington, D.C., and universities in Minnesota, North Dakota, Oklahoma, and Missouri.

In 1973, he founded a voluntary adult literacy training program (VALT) in Bozeman, MT.  For a short time after retiring in 1985, he managed Montana State University's Survey Research.  In the 1987 Montana legislative session, he was Assistant to the President of the Senate assigned to monitor ongoing revisions in the Montana tax system.  Afterwards, he served in pro bono positions advocating for seniors on taxation, health care, advance directives, senior abuse and telemarketing fraud.  During that period, he co-founded the Gallatin County Council on Aging.

He was an active member of the United Methodist Churches in Bozeman and Helena.

Lloyd is survived by his wife, Joy Sue Hobbs Bender, sons Steven Glenn (ex. Cynthia Lee Smith Bender, and Rose Clinch) and Edwin Hall (Joan Specking) of Helena, MT, grandchildren Chase Thomas Bender (Autumn Garner) of Salt Lake, and Amber Marie Bender Bolton (Jeff) of Bozeman, two sisters, Verena Rose Bender Hekman formerly of Tucson, AZ, and Wanette Irene Bender Lehmann (Wayne) of Bozeman and St. George, UT, three great-grandaughters Ashlyn and Delaney Bolton, and Elleana Bender, and several nieces and nephews in the Lehmann, Stoltzfuss, and Moore families of Bozeman also survive.  His brother, Robert Elsworth, his father Lloyd Elllsworth and mother Permelia Irene Foulks Bender preceded him in death.

In lieu of flowers, please make memorials to Covenant United Methodist Church.  Memorial Service will be Wednesday, June 19, 2024 at Covenant United Methodist Church, 2330 E Broadway Street, Helena, MT at 11:00 AM.  Simple Cremation Montana has assisted the family.