Kay Carman Lee

The world is a lot less brighter with the passing of Kay Carman Lee (70), who passed away in Salt Lake City, Utah on Thursday March 12th, 2026, with her loving family by her side.

Kay was born on June 11th, 1955 to Thomas and Evelyn Gordon in Portland, Oregon, where she was raised all through her childhood. Kay eventually became a nurse’s aide and instantly fell in love with her role as a caregiver. If you ever walked into her work, you would hear nothing but high praises from her co-workers, patients and families alike for the superior and exemplary care that she provided to her patients. Kay loved her career so much that she did it for 47 years.

It was at one of these care centers in Portland that she met the love of her life, Michael England Lee. Together they raised 4 kids and eventually settled down in Utah where Michael was from. Until his passing in 2021, they enjoyed over 45 years of marriage.

Kay was one-of-a-kind and was someone that always marched to the beat of her own drum. No one could make you laugh like Kay when she was firing off her one-liners. She enjoyed reading books, watching her true crime shows and, especially, loved shopping; if there was a deal then Kay would find it.

Kay’s time to shine was always Christmas, though; it was by far her favorite time of the year. Kay would shop all year long for it and took the time to make sure that she found the perfect gift(s) for everyone. If you showed up at her house, no matter who you were, you left with a present. But it wasn’t just Christmas that Kay’s generosity was on display; she created a home where anyone and everyone was accepted. She ensured that everyone knew that if they ever needed a place to stay that all were welcome. In fact, she never locked her door for this reason.

Another one of Kay’s loves was the beach. Her favorite to visit was in Seaside, Oregon and many early mornings you would find her roaming the coastline searching for seashells and sand dollars. Kay was also no stranger to a frequent trip to Wendover, where she loved to scratch her gambling itch.

Kay joins her husband, Michael, and her parents, Thomas and Evelyn, in death. She is survived by her children: Derek, Nathan, Cameron, and Lynnsie, as well as her grandchildren: Lukas, Jaxson, Kayden, Lynnette, Dustin and Hannah. She is also survived by her siblings: Tim, Karen, Kris, and Terry.

From Kay, her kids learned the true meaning of love, sacrifice, fun and, of course, to never take her last Coke.

There will be a celebration of life held at Kay’s residence at 4379 Maidie Lane in West Valley City, Utah on Saturday, March 28th from 2-5pm. Come share a funny Kay story and a Coke on her behalf.