Kevin Weatherbee

On Saturday, April 2nd, our heavenly Father chose to call his son Kevin Weatherbee back home. Kevin, who was 54 years old, was born in Oelwein, Iowa on December 26th,1961 to Evert and Mary Weatherbee. He graduated from Oelwein Community High School in 1980 and recently had the pleasure of celebrating his 35th class reunion with longtime friends. When he left Oelwein, it was to embark on a 20 year career in the United States Air Force; a career that allowed him to travel the world and serve his country as a Gulf War Veteran.

After his military career, Kevin found his true calling as a teacher. He enrolled in college and graduated from Northern Arizona University in Yuma. Ironically, he started off with a long-term substitute teacher assignment to cover his wife's 4th grade class at Mary A. Otondo Elementary School and had been there ever since. Over the span of 15 years, he influenced and mentored hundreds of young lives leaving memories that will last a lifetime. He was easily recognized by his long hair, sometimes weird wardrobe and the presence of Sunshine and Sassy, the couple's therapy dogs; but he became known for his love of education and science. He had recently submitted his application for NASA's astronaut candidate training program after students challenged him to do so. Besides the valuable opportunity, he hoped they would be encouraged to challenge themselves throughout their lives. He would have felt humbled and blessed by the recent Facebook comments left by them and their parents.

When not in the classroom, Kevin could be found attending educational workshops, hunkered down at a local bookstore, at home making his unique vegan cuisine or volunteering with Sunshine and Sassy at Yuma Regional Medical Center as a Tails of Joy pet visitation program volunteer since 2012. Kevin knew the therapeutic value and unconditional love his and other dogs would provide to not only the hospital staff but, most importantly, the patients and families. They made the patients forget about the pain they were in even if it was only for a few minutes.

Kevin will leave a void in many of the lives he touched but none more than his wife of 29 years Anna (McClendon);father Evert Weatherbee; brothers Perry (Pam) and Terry (Debra) Weatherbee; sister Kristi Sullivan; father and mother-in-law Bob and Margie McClendon, brother-in-law Bobby McClendon (Leslie), sister-in-law Mary McClendon; movie buddy Uncle Henry; numerous nieces and nephews; students and his beloved pets Sunshine and Sassy. He will be welcomed in heaven by his mother Mary Weatherbee. It is believed that he will now spend his time sharing his love with children and pets who left this earth too soon and his spirit will live in our hearts and minds.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made on his behalf to "RooBee's Cruelty and Denver's Medical Fund" at the Humane Society of Yuma. And from his students, he would want you to not fear the challenges of life and to always get back up when you fall.

You are invited to wear bright socks and/or a silly hat to Kevin's celebration of life on Friday, April 8, from 6-9pm at Johnson Mortuary 1415 S. First Avenue, Yuma. Burial service will follow on Saturday, April 9, at 10am at Desert Lawn Memorial Park.

Kevin Weatherbee, you were a great husband, teacher, friend, son, brother, uncle and son-in-law. Your desire to be a teacher in space comes in a form that no one could have imagined. This is only your next greatest calling. Stay blessed.

Arrangements under the direction of Johnson Mortuary & Desert Lawn Memorial Park, Yuma, AZ.