Gary William Santee, Sr.

Gary William Santee Sr., the son of John and Loretta Leeper Santee, was born April 26, 1944, in Omaha, Nebraska and died March 29, 2010, at the Cass County Memorial Hospital in Atlantic, Iowa at the age of 65 years, 11 months, and 3 days.
Gary attended Omaha Public Schools and Tech High School in Omaha. He was employed as a cook at several restaurants in the Omaha area for a few years and then worked for Butternut Coffee.
On June 13, 1962, he was united in marriage to Georgia Pike at a church in Omaha. Gary worked for Butternut Coffee for several more years then went into business with his brother Mike. They installed siding on new homes for several years. Gary later was employed at Lackawanna Leather Company in Omaha where he worked as a supervisor. In 1996 they moved to Exira, Iowa. Gary continued to work at Lackawanna until they closed their facility in Omaha in 1998. Gary has been employed by the Exira School District as a custodian since 2000.
Gary enjoyed camping, fishing and doing yard work. Gary and his son Gary, Jr. spent many enjoyable years together purchasing old cars and refurbishing them.
Preceding him in death was his father; his brother: Mike Santee; his sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law: Darlene Santee; George (Junior) Pike, Lloyd Pike, Richard Pike, Tommy Pike, Charles Pike, Melvin Pike, Richard Leeper, and Shirley Ullman.
Survivors include his wife: Georgia Santee of Exira, Iowa; his children: Gary W. Santee, Jr. and his wife Sue of Audubon, Iowa, Linda Santee Adams and her special friend Ed Brazeal of Bellevue, Nebraska; his grandchildren: Paige Santee and her special friend Eli Bintner of Atlantic, Iowa, Brittani Santee of Exira, Iowa, Tyler Santee of Carroll, Iowa, Bryton Bobenmoyer, Kelsi Bobenmoyer, Tanner Bobenmoyer all of Audubon, Iowa and Melissa Adams of Bellevue; his great granddaughter: Katelyn James Kennedy of Bellevue; his mother: Loretta Sloan of Manning, Iowa; his brothers: John Santee of Bellevue, Earl and wife Sandra Santee of Manning, Iowa; his sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law: Cathy Santee of Omaha, Donnie Pike of Santee, Nebraska, Rocky Pike and Helen Centamore both of Omaha, Lorraine Leeper of Council Bluffs, Iowa, Betty and husband Elmer Branson of Carter Lake, Iowa; many nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

Cemetery:
The family will have a private disposition of the cremated remains at a later date.

Visitation:
The family will gather with friends to celebrate Garys life on Thursday evening, April 1, 2010, at 7:00 P.M. with a short prayer service conducted by Pastor Alan Finestead at 7:30 at the Kessler Funeral Home in Exira, Iowa.