Everett Donald “Ike” McKay

Dec. 13, 1919 – Oct. 15, 20915A celebration of the life of Everett Donald “Ike” McKay of Longmont, Colo., will be held Saturday, Oct. 31, at the First United Methodist Church in Longmont. Ike, 95, died Oct. 15.He was born Dec. 13, 1919, in Grand Prairie, N.D., the son of Whitfield and Pearl McKay, the sixth son in a loving family of nine siblings.After graduating from high school, Ike attended Valley City State Teachers College. With the start of World War II, he enlisted in the V-7 Navy Program and attended officer training at a Midshipman School in Chicago. He graduated July 1, 1943, and was assigned to a minesweeper ship to be stationed in the South Pacific. That same day he married Ruth Stohl.Ike received his discharge in 1946 and he and Ruth returned to Valley City where he owned a Standard Oil Service Station. In 1955, the couple moved to Wyoming where he was a teacher-principal in Hyattville and Manderson for six years. In 1961, he was hired as a principal of Washington School in Laramie. In the ensuing years, he served as principal of Thayer, Beitel, Slade and Linford schools.Ike retired in June 1980 after serving 19 years as an elementary principal in Albany County.During his tenure in Laramie, Ike had virtually served every office in associations that involved elementary administrators.After his retirement, Ike continued to serve the educational needs of the state as executive director of the Wyoming Association of Elementary School Principals.Ike’s contract with the school district was on a 10-month basis so for more than 20 years he spent his summers with the U.S. Forest Service. In 1991, he traveled to Russia as a representative of Bridges for Peace and in 2010, at the age of 90, Ike was thrilled to travel to Washington D.C. as a member of the Wyoming Honor Flight.In 1982, Ike and Ruth began wintering in Tucson, Ariz., and continued to do so until 2007.Ike loved music. He sang for years with the Laramie Barbershop Chorus and the Melodees. He was an excellent fisherman; he and Ruth participated in the “Boulder Bolder” into their 80s and traveled extensively both in and outside the United States.He was an active member of the First United Methodist Church.Ike learned the values of kindness, loyalty, respect, hard work and patriotism as a child and he carried those values throughout his life. He was a humble man and a gentleman whose family meant everything to him; he meant everything to his family.He was preceded in death by his wife of 72 years, Ruth McKay.He is survived by three daughters, Colleen Eastman, Ryn Hahn and Stephanie McKay; four grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.Memorials donations can be made to the National Museum of the Pacific War or to the First United Methodist Church.