Lee Duane Dooley

Lee Duane Dooley, age 78, of Olathe, Kansas, passed away at his home under hospice care Wednesday, January 12, 2022. He was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother, uncle, colleague, and friend.

Lee Duane Dooley was born December 30, 1943, the oldest child of Rex and Cora Ellene (LePort) Dooley. Known as “Duane” by family & friends, he grew up with his younger sisters, Phyllis and Janice on a farm near Hamburg, IA. He graduated from Hamburg High School in 1961 where he was active in FFA and lettered in varsity football all 4 years, making All-Conference First Team. He then served in the United States Army.

He married his high-school sweetheart, Betty (Hopping) Dooley on March 2, 1962 in Hamburg , Iowa, who joined him at Fort Riley, KS Army base during his service, then afterwards living near Hamburg. Together they raised four daughters Cynthia, Sandra, Kathy, and Pamela.

Lee’s 42-year career started as an Adjuster at Avco Finance Company in Shenandoah, IA moving up to Branch Manager at several southwest Iowa branches, and in Worland, WY, then Division Manager to Division Director at several finance companies in Omaha, NE, Denver, CO, Los Angeles, CA, and Houston, TX. He then switched careers completing a college curriculum in Data Processing, and was an Information Systems Manager in Iowa as well as at Farmland Industries in Hutchinson, KS, where he received an Eagle Among Men Award. The last 20 years of his career were in Kansas City as Information System Manager/Director for INS, Westlake Hardware and JB Nutter, retiring in 2007.

In Kansas City he loved attending his many grandchildren’s activities - soccer, football, & baseball games, wrestling tournaments, school plays & competitions, high school & college graduations, and weddings. And he adored all of his great-grandchildren just as much.

He enjoyed taking many long roadtrips, crisscrossing the country coast to coast multiple times, visiting every single State except Hawaii. His favorites destinations were all the national parks, even driving through Canada to Alaska to Denali.

Besides traveling & family activities, he has also always loved old western movies, especially with John Wayne. He was an avid NFL Broncos & Chiefs football fan and a BIG Royals baseball fan, as well as NASCAR & stock car racing. He owned every Elvis Presley 8-track tape, and really enjoyed KC BBQ and playing the slot machines at casinos.

He is survived in death by his life-long wife of 60 years Betty Dooley; children Cynthia (Greg) Chambers, Sandra (Brady) Buzick, and Pam Dooley; grandchildren Cori (Nick) Salmons, Matt (Samantha) Chambers, Michelle Chambers, Tanner Buzick, Jessica (Nels) Peterson, Colby Ott, Brandon (Megan) Ott, Sean (Marissa) Cantrell, Trevor Cantrell, Heather Cantrell-Augustine, and Shawn Cantrell; and great-grandchildren Katelynn, Nels, Zakary, Jocelynn, Ryan, Justin, Stetson, Laramie, Brecken, Jackson, Joshua, Lexi, Bennett, Landon, Lucas, Logan, Jordan, Emily, Jaden, Serenity, and Ryu.

He is also survived in death by his sister and brother-in-law, Janice and Doug Smith and many beloved nieces and nephews.

Lee was preceded in death by his daughter Kathy Lynn; his parents Rex and Cora Ellene Dooley; father-in-law and mother-in-law, Everett and Mattie Belle Hopping; sister Phyllis Schaffner; sister-in-law and brother-in-law Doris and Donald Roof; and brother-in-law and sister-in-law Bill and Joyce Hopping.

A visitation for Lee Duane will be held Monday January 17, 2022 11:00 AM to 11:30 AM at McGilley & Frye Funeral Home, 105 E. Loula Street, Olathe, KS 66061. A funeral service will follow at 11:30 AM, and then a luncheon 12:00-1:30 PM. A committal service will then occur at 2:00 PM at Shawnee Mission Memorial Gardens, 23215 W 75TH ST, Shawnee, KS 66227.

In lieu of flowers his wish is a charity donation, along with his family, for a bench at Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead in Overland Park, KS, a wonderful place that showcases the farming community of his youth. He has enjoyed many visits here with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren showing them how he used to farm with his father as a boy in the “olden days” in Iowa. He would like to encourage them all to continue visiting the petting farm and remembering him there. (Please make a check payable to “Friends of the Farmstead” to leave at or send to McGilley & Frye Funeral Home, 105 E. Loula Street, Olathe, KS 66061).

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.McGilley-Frye.com for the Dooley family.