LYNNDA THOMPSON TIANO March 29, 1939 – July 18, 2021

Lynnda Thompson Tiano, 82, of Picayune, MS and longtime resident of Los Alamos, peacefully passed away Sunday, July 18 after a long but gracious battle with Alzheimer’s.

Lynnda was born March 29, 1939, to Marilynn and Tommy Landon in Henderson, TX. Henderson is where she learned to love to dance, especially with the “Church Hill Boys”. After graduating from Henderson High School in 1957, she enrolled at the Texas Women’s College and majored in dance. 

She managed to stay there a whole semester before she decided college would be a lot more fun with boys! So, she transferred to the University of Texas at Austin and got her degree in Home Economics. She continued her studies at the University of Texas and earned a Master of Science, Nutrition. 

It was at UT that she met the first love of her life, Byron Thompson, while he was earning his Doctorate in Mechanical Engineering. They wed in 1961 and had two children, Byron Jr. and Elizabeth. In 1965 they moved to Los Alamos for Byron Sr. to work at Los Alamos National Laboratory and raise their children.

After losing Byron Sr. to cancer, Lynnda met the next love of her life, Bert Tiano Sr. in 1973. They married after a long courtship in 1987. Bert and Lynnda were made for each other, Bert was great at making messes and Lynnda was great at cleaning them up. They were avid square dancers, loved camping in their 5th wheel or traveling abroad and always made new friends on their many adventures together.

Lynnda made many trips across the globe including visits to Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and Antarctica. She also made many road trips with her grandchildren and always vowed to never do one again. Yet she always did. She was an avid birder and loved sewing, needlepoint, quilting and sharing her talents with her friends and family. She adored them all and cherished hosting holiday celebrations, decorating with the latest things she bought, and serving deliciously cooked meals on her extensive collection of china. 

Lynnda was predeceased in death by both her husbands, Byron Thompson Sr. and Bert Tiano Sr., her stepson, Bert Tiano Jr. and her grandson, Marc Firenze Jr.

She is survived by both her brother, Roddy Landon and sister, Betsy Caddenhead, her stepdaughter, Susan Tiano, her son and daughter-in-law, Byron and Nancy Thompson, her daughter and son-in-law, Elizabeth and Marc Firenze and her grandchildren, Courtney Thompson, Chase Thompson, Morgan and her husband, Skye Steckler, and Ryan Firenze.

A funeral will be held for her at 1 p.m. Friday, Aug. 13 at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Los Alamos. Followed by graveside service at Guaje Pines Cemetery.  There will be a gathering at the church after the services for desserts and donuts. Lynnda always said, “Heaven will be one big donut!”.

Should friends desire, contributions may be sent in Lynnda’s name to The Epilepsy Foundation of New England https://epilepsynewengland.org or the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund (https:////www.curealzfund.org/).