Jerry Lee Gleaves, Lampe, MO, the son of Otis Lee and Beatrice Christeel (Keener) Gleaves, was born December 24, 1927, at Rocky Ford, CO, and departed this life on August 21, 2023, at the age of 95.
Jerry served in the United States Navy on the USS Springfield before being Honorably Discharged on October 17, 1947
Jerry was General Manager of the S.W. Suburban District in Burian, WA, before his retirement.
Entering the world on Christmas Eve on the cusp of the Great Depression in 1927, starting adulthood at the end of WWII in the Navy, you taught your family what it was to persevere, and look for the light in the dark times. Incredibly spiritual, you leaned on God's shoulder to get you through the tough times including losing your wife one day, and one of your sons, the very next. A west coast boy with a midwest heart, you moved away from the places you grew up in Colorado, Oregon, and Washington to trace the path of your parents and grandparents, retiring to "God's Country" in the Ozarks of Missouri.
He is preceded in death by his second wife, Leila Gleaves, his parents, Otis and Beatrice Gleaves and one son, Mark Gleaves.
Jerry is survived by his wife, Jean Gleaves of Lampe, MO; five sons; Steve Gleaves and his wife, Kathy of Italy, David Gleaves of Aberdeen, WA, Marty Gleaves and his wife, Ginny of Monroe, WA, Dan Gleaves of Kent, WA and Tony Udovich of Kansas City, MO; one daughter, Mara Gleaves of Springfield, MO; one sister, Donna Gleed of Tacoma, WA; first wife, Ruth Dean; 17 grandchildren and 20 great grandchildren.