Lannie Ray Seely Obituary (1944 - 2020)

Lannie Ray Seely, 76, was born on March 11, 1944, in San Diego, California to Lee Adair and Verda Mae Seely. He passed away peacefully at home on March 25, 2020, in Cottonwood Heights, Utah. Lannie lived a fulfilling life as a caring husband to his wife Kathy, a loving dad to 7 children, a caring brother to 4 siblings, a grandfather to 25 grandchildren, a great-grandfather to 3 great-grandchildren, and a friend to many. He enjoyed huevos rancheros with pepper jelly, fishing, M&Ms, Necco Wafers, Sean Hannity, war documentaries, Pepsi and his green, leather, La-Z-Boy recliner—an old, “made-in-Tremonton” classic. (It’s weathered and duct-taped, but it’s his chair.) He once had a cat named Sugar, a squirrel named Rocky, and a pet deer that he could feed by hand. He disliked tardy people, crowded shopping malls and bad drivers. He loved chocolate…and America. Lannie spent the vast majority of his life serving in—and working for—3 separate divisions of the US Military. He began his military life serving in the US Air Force and eventually transferred into full-time employment with Tooele Army Depot (TEAD). During his time with TEAD, he simultaneous served in the National Guard. He was an outstanding marksman--always calm and focused under pressure. He was a member of the TEAD Special Reaction Team (SRT), a world-class team of professionals trained in crisis management. On March 1st, 2008, he retired with the rank of Captain after 38.5 years of employment at TEAD. Not a man to sit still, Captain Seely immediately went to work transforming a piece of raw mountain land above Mount Pleasant into his own little private sanctuary. He spent long summer days building retaining walls, irrigation systems, and roadways. In the winter months, he couldn’t access the property so he decided to get a job. This time he traded the Army Depot, for Home Depot. Captain Seely was a lumber cutting ninja and earned the distinguished title of “Lumber Lannie”. He worked at the Fort Union Home Depot until he finished his shift on March 1st, 2020. On the morning of March 2nd, he collapsed at home and was rushed to the ER where they discovered a massive, inoperable brain tumor, and the family immediately went about setting up a home hospice for his final days. Nobody had any idea the level of insanity that would shortly take over the planet. Coronavirus, school closures, earthquakes, economic meltdown, etc. A lot for any man to have to process during his final lucid days. We are all relieved he is in a far better place now. We imagine he’s up there trying to find a garage sale or a breakfast diner serving steak and eggs with a free side of feta. He is survived by his beloved wife of nearly 40 years, Katherine; his children: Stewart, Chris (Toni), Kelei (Karl), Eric (Lisa), Garrett (Jennifer), Rachel (Gordon) and Daniel (Amber); one sister (Darlene); and one brother (Larry). The family would like to thank the staff at Intermountain Hospice for helping with Lannie’s final days. As a result of Covid-19, the family held a private graveside service in Salt Lake City at Mount Olivet Cemetery on Friday, March 27, 2020. The family requests that since they are unable to hold services at this time, please take a minute to share a memory, thought or online condolences here at www.jenkins-soffe.com. “Perhaps they are not the stars, but rather openings in Heaven where the love of our lost ones pours through and shines down upon us to let us know they are happy.”