lit a candle 29 Sept 2026Ninety years old. That's nearly a century of American history she lived through, born in '36. My thoughts are with her family tonight.
Their story
Lynne "Brooke" Bredenbeck, born Lynn Pirrie Burns and known over a long life as Lynne, Brooke, Mrs. B and finally Mamoo to her grandchildren, was an Ohio born educator and nursing school administrator who later made Denver her home. She died peacefully in her sleep in Denver on 5 September…
Lynne "Brooke" Bredenbeck, born Lynn Pirrie Burns and known over a long life as Lynne, Brooke, Mrs. B and finally Mamoo to her grandchildren, was an Ohio born educator and nursing school administrator who later made Denver her home. She died peacefully in her sleep in Denver on 5 September 2026, at the age of 90. Her family published an obituary through Horan and McConaty Funeral Service and Cremation that described her as a woman of many names and a force to be sure.
She was born on 31 May 1936 in Evanston, Illinois. In middle school the family moved to Columbus and then Bexley, Ohio, where she graduated from Bexley High School. She earned her undergraduate degree at Miami University in Ohio and married Kim Bredenbeck after graduation. She studied theology at the University of Chicago, then moved to Germany when her husband was drafted into the Army. Their first child, Toby, was born there. Back in Ohio the family lived in Bedford, a Cleveland suburb, where Heidi and Karin were born, then returned to Bexley as Heidi entered kindergarten.
When Karin started school, Bredenbeck went to work, first as a teacher's aide in the Bexley public schools and then as an event coordinator at Mount Carmel School of Nursing. She rose to Director of Admissions and completed an MBA in public administration in her forties while working full time. After a divorce in the late 1970s she added part time work to support her children. She also served as president of the Columbus Theater Ballet Association in the early 1980s, reflecting a love of ballet that began with lessons in high school and young adulthood.
She retired at 59 and moved to Denver so she would not miss time with grandchildren after the birth of her eldest grandchild far away in Alabama. She helped raise Heidi's two boys and Karin's two girls in Colorado and piled summer adventures on visiting granddaughter Lizzy. She was a voracious reader of mysteries and thrillers, an accomplished knitter of three generations of Christmas stockings, a crossword devotee, and a classical music listener who introduced children and grandchildren to live theater and dance. She traveled after retirement to China, Greece, Alaska, the United Kingdom and Mexico. Spiritual seeking led her through Episcopal and Catholic churches and to eighteen years in Al Anon.
She is survived by brother Scott Burns; daughters Toby Hines (Joe), Heidi Wells (Bradford) and Karin Walsh; ex-son-in-law Tim Walsh; and grandchildren Elizabeth Hines (Walker Martin), Dylan Wells, Evan Wells, Kaia Walsh and Reilly Walsh. She was preceded in death by parents Brooke and Mount Burns and stepsister Mary Lang. A memorial service was set for 2 October 2026 at 2 p.m. at Horan and McConaty, 1091 S Colorado Blvd, Denver. The family suggested donations to local public radio.
Biography adapted from Horan & McConaty Funeral Service and Cremation family obituary (Denver); Denver Gazette / Legacy notices of the same obituary.
In their own words
“A woman of many names (Lynne, then Brooke when she informally changed her name in college, Mrs. B when we were in high school, and finally Mamoo to her grandchildren), our mother was a force, to be sure.”
Opening of the family obituary, Horan and McConaty, 2026
Photos
1Lynne "Brooke" Bredenbeck
by People Forever
A good long life. Rest well, Brooke.