William Gordon “Bill” Gee passed away at the age of 83 on January 9, 2018. Bill was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in April of 2017 and bravely struggled with the disease until his passing.
Bill was born on June 12, 1934 in Lead, South Dakota to Leone and Melvin Gee. He raised his family in Selah, Washington where he enjoyed being a horseman and rancher. His family has many fond memories of their time in Selah.
In 1966, Bill purchased and ran his own Arctic Circle franchise in Yakima, Washington until he went to work for Arctic Circle Corporation as Vice President in Salt Lake City, Utah in the 70’s.
Bill was President of Minit Lube Fast Lube Corporation and was instrumental in the success of the business. In 1986, Minit Lube sold to Quaker State Oil. Quaker State Oil then merged with Jiffy Lube and Bill retired. Later, along with a friend and business associate, Bill purchased Arctic Circle Corporation and they eventually sold the company back to its employees.
Bill lived in Palm Desert, California during the winters for the past 20 years. He enjoyed playing golf and poker with his friends. Bill has lived in Washington State for the past 2 years, spending cherished time with his family.
Survivors include his wife Linda; his son Ron (Melissa); two daughters: Charlotte (Scott) Fortenberry, and Sheri John; the mother of his children, Dorothy; 8 grandchildren, 3 great-grandchildren; and his sisters Suzanne (Cliff) Jensen and Linda (Roger) Lapossa. Bill was preceded in death by his parents, his daughter Sandy and his sister Gwen.