Leroy Frederick McVay

11/3/1932 – 12/25/2023

Leroy McVay, of Everett, WA, passed away on December 25, 2023. He was born in St. Louis, MO and lived in many areas across the mid-west, graduating high school in Mountainburg, AR in 1950. He joined the Navy in 1954 and was honorably discharged in 1957. He met the love of his life, Jean Anne Lehtinen in 1955 and they were married in 1957 and celebrated 65 years of marriage before Jean Anne’s passing in 2022.

Leroy loved aviation and worked for Boeing in Seattle and was proud to be a flightline inspector for the first 707. Then, while visiting Jean Anne’s parents one evening, the fire department arrived a couple of houses away and he watched as they extinguished a house fire. Leroy was so impressed with this, he signed up to become a volunteer fire fighter just days later. He worked his way up the ladder to full time firefighter, training officer and retired Captain of Shoreline Fire District 4 in 1982 after 28 years.

Leroy had a passion for helping others and he volunteered wherever help was needed: search and rescue, mountaineering, stage carpentry for local theaters, MS Society Bike Around the Sound, to name a few. He built hundreds of wooden cars and trucks for children and gave them to children around the world, he was known as Santa’s Sawdust Shop. He and Jean Anne spent many years volunteering in and caring for children in orphanages throughout Mexico and the US, they also enjoyed doing bread runs for food banks in the Poulsbo area.

Leroy is preceded in death by his mother Bertha McVay, his dad Alexander McVay, his wife Jean Anne McVay, his son in law Reed Gorst, brothers and sisters in law, nephews, and nieces.

Leroy will be forever loved and missed by his children: Bill, Howard and Bernard McVay, Pam (John) Geer, Patty Gorst. Grandchildren: Shad (Jessica) McVay, Dennis (Kayla) McVay, Amanda McVay, Emily (Justin Fuller), Aaron (Nicole) McVay, Abby McVay, and Candice McVay. Great Grandchildren: Connor, Wesley, Tanner & Grayson McVay and Ava and Marley Fuller. His Sister-in-laws Sr. Jean Marie Lehtinen, Chris (Don, Kelly) Singleterry and Lolly Lehtinen. He also leaves his special family Denika, Justin, Bently and Victoria Langagger, Chuy Laminato and Semi Bird.

The family would like to extend their heartfelt thanks to every staff member at Brookdale At Silver Lake in Everett for their exceptional and loving care of Leroy for the past 14 months, he loved each one of you very much.

Funeral service will be held on Wednesday, January 17, 2024, 1pm at Purdy & Walters at Floral Hills, Lynnwood, WA and a Graveside service will occur at 2:00 PM with a reception to follow.

For more information please visit: https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/lynnwood-wa/leroy-mcvay-11600770