LeRoy Arnold Gormley

LeRoy Arnold Gormley March 28, 1933 - April 26, 2021 Waterville, Washington LeRoy Gormley slipped the bonds of earth to be at home with his Lord Jesus Christ on April 26, 2021. He was a lifelong wheat grower and resident of Waterville. He was born March 28, 1933 to Glen H. Gormley and Edith Clark Gormley, joining older brother Lawrence. They lived on the family farm at Alstown later moving into Waterville. He played High School football for the Waterville Shockers graduating in 1951. He also later took classes at Wenatchee Valley College. LeRoy worked on the family farm until being drafted into the United States Navy in 1956 where he was stationed in Long Beach, CA. He served aboard the heavy cruiser USS Rochester, later being deployed to the destroyer USS Irwin. He returned home on leave to marry Mila D. Culpepper on May 10, 1957. They made their home in Long Beach until his honorable discharge in October of 1957. This year, 2021, would have marked 64 years of marriage for the couple. LeRoy had many interests and hobbies. In his youth he owned an Indian Motorcycle which he said his father gladly traded for a car as he had a love of jumping it at the local loading dock in town. He also enjoyed cars and his mother-in-law, Willo Culpepper Harris, often quipped that it seemed like it only took him 15 minutes or so to arrive at their home in Wenatchee from Waterville after having been on the phone with Mila. He enjoyed scuba diving and boating in his early years and was an avid skier. He was an accomplished pilot and loved to take trips, check wheat, go for parts, or anything that would get him up in the air. After retiring LeRoy and Mila enjoyed golfing and traveling in their RV spending winters away in California and Arizona. LeRoy was a delegate for the US Wheat Association where he traveled to Asia, India and Japan promoting the wheat industry. He was very active in the Washington Association of Wheat Growers and was a former State President. He was a member of the International Flying Farmers, the Waterville Lions Club and was a past District Chairman. He was a supporter of the Lions Eye Bank and Leader Dog for the Blind programs. LeRoy is survived by his loving wife Mila Gormley, daughter Lauren (Gary) Polson, and son Gary (Kimberly) Gormley. He has five wonderful grandchildren: Karryn (Michael) DeChaney, Katie (Luke) Atkinson, Max (Alyssa) Polson, McKaylin Gormley and Gannon Gormley. He was preceded in death by his mother and father Edith and Glen Gormley, step-father Herman Janssen and his brother Lawrence Gormley. A graveside memorial was held at the Waterville Cemetery on April 30, 2021. Should you wish to share a memory please visit www.HeritageMemorialChapel.com where you can view LeRoy's online Tribute page. Arrangements made by Heritage Memorial Chapel.