Moyle Loris Braithwaite

A Celebration of Life for Moyle Loris Braithwaite will be held at Grace Lutheran Church, Saturday October 22, at 11:00 a.m.  A luncheon reception will follow at the Maturango Museum in the Coso Room. All are welcome. He will be interred at a later date in a private family ceremony at the Mount Morrison Cemetery, in the mountains that he loved.

Moyle Loris Braithwaite was born October 17, 1932 in Ely, Nevada to Larry and Hazel Braithwaite. He grew up enjoying hiking, camping, hunting, and horseback riding in Nevada and Idaho.

He served in the Navy in the United States Naval Construction Battalions and was stationed in Guam. After his service, he attended college at Idaho State University in Pocatello, ID and at the University of Idaho in Moscow, ID. He graduated with a BS in Mechanical Engineering. It was at the University of Idaho that Moyle met the love of his life, Dianne Davis. During their engagement, Moyle accepted an engineering position at China Lake, Naval Weapons Center.

Moyle and Dianne married on June 30, 1961 and made their home in China Lake. They had three children, Suzie, Mike, and Kim. Moyle single-handedly built a custom home for the family in the Deeter tract, where he and Dianne lived for almost 50 years. As a family, they enjoyed backpacking, skiing in Mammoth, and taking RV vacations.

During his career at China Lake, Moyle was involved in multiple projects including AGM-45 Shrike, AGM-78 Standard ARM, Skipper, Tomahawk, Sidewinder, and others. He served as branch head for many years. After retirement, he continued to serve employed by local government contractors. And later, he served as a docent for The Naval Museum of Armament & Technology at China Lake. He loved talking about the fascinating history of this research community.

Moyle and Dianne also enjoyed retirement at their condominium in Mammoth Lakes. This also was a major remodeling project. Moyle and Dianne were quite a team with their construction and decorating talents. They enjoyed spending time with family and grandchildren in Mammoth and surrounding areas. Moyle was athletic throughout his life and enjoyed running, hiking, fishing, and skiing.

Moyle went home to the Lord on July 2, 2022 at the age of 89. He was preceded in death by his father Larry, mother Hazel, and sister Darlene. He is survived by wife Dianne, daughter Suzie, son Mike, and daughter Kim, sister Sharron, and grandchildren Isaac, Rachel, and Nathan.