Michael Kay Willey
Fought the Good Fight
Obituary by Whitney Willey
Michael Kay Willey, a resident of Winnemucca Nevada, passed away on May 7, 2020, just short of his 59th birthday from Metastatic Small-cell Bladder Cancer.
Mike was born to Marvin and Joh Willey in Salt Lake City, Utah, on May 26, 1961, where he was raised by his mother Joh Willey and graduated from Viewmont High School.
At the age of 28, he moved to Winnemucca to work for Gold Fields (planning to stay for about three years).
He joined the mining community, where he continued to work for over 30 years for Santa Fe Pacific Gold, Newmont, Solenis/Ashland, and Nevada Energy.
During his time in Winnemucca, he met and married Brenda Martin, and they raised a beautiful daughter together, Whitney Willey.
He also met some of his closest friends through work and the Winnemucca Golf Course, where he won countless tournaments and got his first hole in one!
As much as he loved golf, he enjoyed hunting and fishing just the same. He always looked forward to his annual pheasant hunt in North Dakota with his life long friends and his two nephews.
By far, the one thing he loved most in the world was his daughter Whitney.
From her first tee-ball game to her high school graduation, he was her loudest cheerleader. “You got it, Kiddo!” was a go-to. Mike was always excited about their new adventures ahead, hikes at Zion National Park, which there were so many wonderful memories between them.
He is preceded in death by his Father Marvin Kay Willey and beloved friend Joshua Rose.
As Mike wished, on Thursday, May 12, his family held a Catholic blessing where Whitney, Joh, and his sister Marion witnessed the blessing of his Urn at Russon Mortuary in Bountiful Utah. As Mike would often say, “I fought a great fight” and that he did.
In lieu of flowers, Whitney has requested donations be made payable to Lowry High School for the Joshua Rose Memorial Scholarship, Acct 551, c/o Andree Rose, 3289 Great Basin Avenue, Winnemucca, Nevada 89445.
