Obituaries
Phillip Jay Moody, age 74, of Livingston, Montana passed away September 2nd, 2026 after a long and courageous battle with prostate cancer.
Phillip was born and raised in Idaho Falls and developed a love of cars and all things mechanical while spending long hours with his father, Virgil, at his radiator repair shop. With a passion for winter and the outdoors—something he passed on to his children—he loved to ski, camp, hunt, and fish with family and friends. After leaving Idaho Falls, he worked various jobs in California and Wyoming and attended vocational school in Oregon, learning the welding and electrician trades. He moved to Livingston in 1972 and worked at Brand S Lumber Mill. Here he met the Arrington family and took Rochelle Arrington to her high school prom. While he would eventually return to Livingston, some of his biggest adventures awaited him in Alaska, where he moved to shortly after meeting Rochelle. In between running heavy equipment on the North Slope of Alaska and learning his floor covering trade, he found many life-long friendships and a culture that embraced his work hard, play hard mentality.
In the mid-eighties, he helped his best friend in Wasilla, Alaska build a beautiful home, honing his electrical and carpentry skills. As they were finishing up the job, he invited Rochelle to visit him there before moving out of the state. She took him up on the offer, not knowing he had a marriage proposal in mind. After she said yes, they made the decision to remain in Alaska. In 1991, Phillip and Rochelle packed up their small family of Paul (12), Nick (5) and Katherine (3), and took an adventure-filled road trip in their ‘69 station wagon en route to Livingston. Phillip continued his winter work on the Slope traveling to and from Montana. In the off season, he worked in the floor covering trade before eventually owning his own business in Livingston. When the job eventually took too much of a toll on his knees and back he went to work as a concrete truck driver, where he took pride in being a safe and frequently requested driver.
Phillip loved to putter and enjoyed tinkering on his ‘59 Land Rover, preparing it for the next camping trip. Some of his kids' favorite memories (much to his wife's chagrin) involved getting to ride up front in the tire mounted to the hood while he slowly maneuvered old logging roads, often getting stuck and having to winch the Rover out using the closest tree. He regularly loaded up the family to float and fish the Yellowstone River, encouraging his kids to confidently take on any challenges they encountered. He was his children’s biggest fan and support in all things and learned to love the game of soccer, much to his surprise, never missing a game if he could help it. A "jack of all trades," Phillip could often be found repairing anything broken for the people he loved. Phillip learned many different trade skills throughout his lifetime.
He very much loved his wife Rochelle and children Paul (Krista), Nicholas (Erin), Katherine (Kenny), and his grandchildren: London and Vienna Moody, Archer Moody, and Frankie and Ruby Price, all of whom survive him. He is also survived by his sister, Janet Wolfley and her son, Braun; and his in-laws Nicki (Brad) Hicks; Annette Olsson; Linda Arrington, Gary Stav and many nieces and nephews. Phillip is preceded in death by his parents, Virgil and Gladys (Baumgardner) Moody; his sister, Karen, and in-laws: Owen and Eleanor (Murray) Arrington; Elaine Stav, Don Olsson and Owen and Yvonne Arrington, Jr.
A memorial service will be held September 26th, 2026 at the 3rd St. Living Hope Church, in lieu of a town parade, with Blue Angels flying overhead and the open bar that he requested.
Rather than flowers, if you are so inclined, please make a donation to the Stafford Animal Shelter in Livingston, or the Gary Sinise Foundation of homes for wounded veterans.
We love you and will miss you always Dad!