Kay Ellen Lebeda

Kay Ellen (Lamb) Lebeda of Urbandale, IA passed away on Thursday, September 29th, 2022, at the age of 77.

Visitation will be held at Caldwell Parrish, 8201 Hickman Road, Urbandale, IA 50322 from 11:00am – 1:00pm Saturday, October 22nd, 2022. A service will follow at 1:00pm.

In lieu of flowers, the family ask that donations be made to any of the following organizations:

The National Kidney Foundation :

The American Heart Association :

The Lupus Foundation of America :

Kay was born in Cedar Falls, IA on November 15, 1945, to Robert E. and Katharine Gallagher Lamb. Kay was the youngest of four children including her siblings,  Mary Linda (Linda), David Robert (Bert), and Richard James (Dick). Kay graduated from Marywood College in Scranton, PA in 1967 with a B.S. in Business Administration.

For one year Kay taught high school business in Sidney, NY. When her grandmother passed away that fall, she returned to Cedar Falls, IA for the service. During that trip home, she saw her on again, off again high school sweetheart Jim Lebeda. They went on a date that night and the same night, Jim asked her to marry him. Kay returned to Sidney to finish the school year and then returned home to Cedar Falls, IA to marry Jim. In Kay’s own words “That’s the simple version, but a wonderful love story, nonetheless. My husband has been my love, my confidant, my comforter, my enforcer, and my best friend since 1969.”

Kay worked for Simpson College from 1975 until her retirement in 2011. Kay held various positions for the college in her 37-year tenure, but most of her time was spent as the Director of Alumni Relations. Kay had a gift for connecting with people and her job as Alumni Director was a perfect fit. She was always talking about the students and alumni she had gotten to know and she kept in touch with many of them over the years.

Kay had a wonderful voice and used it to sing in the church choir for many years. Kay was one of 120 people selected for a choir to sing in front of approximately 350,000 people at Living History Farms on October 4th, 1979, when Saint Pope John Paul II visited Des Moines, IA. Kay considered this an incredibly special honor.

Kay’s greatest joy was her family. She loved spending time with her grandkids, watching them compete in their sporting events and school activities. Kay loved to play games and was a fierce competitor, even getting 3 holes in one in the last round of mini golf shortly before her passing. Kay loved watching all the kids grow as they learned to ski, tube, wakeboard, and just generally have family time at her beloved Table Rock Lake. She enjoyed welcoming all family and friends old and new to experience the lake she loved so much.

Kay is survived by her husband of 53 years, James Lebeda of Urbandale, IA, son Mike Lebeda (Traci) of Van Meter, IA, daughter Sara Gilmore (Scott) of Lee's Summit, MO, beloved grandchildren, Ethan Lebeda, Noah Lebeda, Zach Gilmore, Jessica Gilmore, Nate & Tasha Haley (Ella), Nicole Haley, Megan Haley and Jay Haley. Kay also is survived by her sister Linda Todd of Shelton, CT, her brother David Lamb (Cozette) of Tucson, AZ, brothers-in-law Joseph Lebeda (Jean), Dennis Lebeda (Paula), sisters-in-law Susan Lebeda (wife of Dean Lebeda) and Mary Lou Lamb (wife of Richard Lamb) and numerous nieces and nephews. Kay was preceded in death by her parents, Robert E. and Katharine Gallagher Lamb, her brother Richard James Lamb, brothers-in-law John Todd and Dean Lebeda.