Lee Walter Gay, 91, passed away at his home in LaMonte, Missouri, on February 8, 2026.
Lee was born on December 25, 1934, to Mary (Morris) and Walter Gay in Ellensburg, Washington. He was the youngest of four children. Lee attended Puyallup High School, graduating class of 1953. On September 26, 1954, Lee married Jean Moorhead in Puyallup, Washington, with the ceremony officiated by his grandfather, a Baptist minister.
Lee and Jean had five children: Richard, Randolph, Virginia, Diane, and Rebecca. He was employed at Container Corporation in Seattle and later at St. Regis Lumber Company in Issaquah, before moving to Colville, Washington, in 1971. Lee and Jean built their dream house on Aladdin Route in Colville, where the family enjoyed raising chickens, rabbits, pigs, sheep, a milk cow, and a lively assortment of dogs and cats. He worked as a custodian for the Colville School District while living in Colville. Lee and Jean eventually started their own carpet cleaning business: Lee’s Carpet Cleaning. Lee enjoyed hunting and fishing. He and his family spent many hours fishing the multitude of lakes in the Colville area. As a family, they also enjoyed traveling to many of the national parks in their camper. Lee enjoyed sitting around a campfire and gazing at the stars on a warm summer night. Lee’s beloved wife, Jean, passed away on March 2, 1997.
Lee was introduced to Ganelle Reid the summer of 1998. The two fell in love and married on December 20, 1999. Lee joined Ganelle in Missouri where they made a life together, and he welcomed the entire Reid family into his heart. For 26 years, Lee and Ganelle enjoyed traveling together, sharing meals at the table, sitting on the front porch watching the birds and wildlife, and tending their flower beds and vegetable gardens. Lee had a soft heart for animals and would take in every stray cat, raccoon, or even coyote, making sure they were properly fed.
Lee had a heart for the Lord. There was nothing more important to Lee than his relationship with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Lee read the Word of God daily and went nowhere without his Bible. He was a devoted member of Mt. Zion Christian Church and frequently served as a lay speaker. His love for the Lord was present in every day of his life, and he shared the good news of the love of Jesus to everyone he met.
Lee was predeceased by his siblings Lucille Kronquist, Raymond Gay, and Wilma Whitener, by his wife Jean (Moorhead) Gay, and his infant son, Randolph Gay.
Lee is survived by his wife, Ganelle Reid; his children: Richard Gay (Janet), Virginia Ramshaw (William), Diane Kreis (James), and Rebecca Anderson (Robert); 10 grandchildren: Randy Lamb (Danielle), Bryan Gay (Susie), Jennifer Orton (Rowan), Rachel Harder (Brandon), Rebecca Ramshaw (Gari Gorgodze), Amanda Ramshaw, Travis Kreis (Leah), Roxanne Bos (Matthew), Jedidiah Anderson, and Sarah Anderson; and 14 great-grandchildren: Emmett, Daniel, Sadie, Corban, Connor, Brandon, Elisabeth, Jackson, Nora, Bryson, Hudson, Adlee, Witten, and Taylee.
A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, at Campbell-Lewis Funeral Home, 1002 East 1st Street, Concordia, Missouri, 64020. Friends and family are invited to attend the visitation beginning at 10 a.m. until the time of the service. Pastor Rick Gay will be officiating the service with burial immediately following at Blackwater Chapel Cemetery. Honorary Pallbearers include: Randy Lamb, Brian Gay, Travis Kreis, Jed Anderson, Jerry Reid, Harlan Reid, Gail Reid, and Chris Reid. Memorial donations in Lee’s name can be made to Blackwater Chapel Cemetery.