Bill Lee McVey, age 79, posted his final lap in the late evening of May 29, 2012, at Queen of the Valley Hospital in Napa, following complications with his heart and kidneys.  

His crowning victory of life and love was celebrated over the Memorial Day weekend, surrounded by his devoted following of family, friends, and fans.

Bill was more than an avid race fan; he lived life in and around cars. It was his passion, he was dedicated and supportive to all that drove them: famous Indy and NASCAR drivers, his beloved Lakeport racing community, and the rest of us that just needed someone on our team, to keep our wheels rolling to the market and back.

Born July 18, 1932 in Gridley, Calif., Bill grew up in Los Angeles, working on hot rods with his dad and friends.  

Endless days and nights were spent under the hood, prepping for drag races, building go karts, attending car clubs and following high school, in an early job as a Ford salesman.

His career shifted to the booming aerospace industry in Southern California. He spent 30 years as a respected executive at Garrett Airesearch in Torrance. But his passion for racing never dimmed.  

He was part of the pit crew that helped men go to the moon, but there were always sports cars in the driveway and weekends at the track.

Fueled with retirement and his dream, Bill, wife Beverly, and family moved north to Clearlake area to build their vision of cars, community and service.  

Over the past 30 years in Lakeport, Bill developed several businesses, led and served in many community organizations, but his passion for cars always stood as the cornerstone.  

Recently he achieved his life-long dream, born from those early days on the Ford lot, with his acquisition of the Lakeport Ford Dealership.

Bill is survived by his loving wife, Beverly, their children, grandchildren and so many more that he always considered part of his family.  

A celebration of his life was held on Friday, June 1.

The family extends their heartfelt thanks and gratitude to all of Bill's friends, customers, employees and business associates that supported him throughout his wonderful road trip, especially in these recent days that allowed his family to surround him at the finish line.

For further information call Chapel of the Lakes Mortuary, 707-263-0357 or 707-994-5611, or visit www.chapelofthelakes.com .

Gynita Klein passed away at her home in Lucerne, Calif., on May 17, 2012.

She is survived by her children, Mary Rodriguez, Gail Endicott, Darrell Klein, Bruce Klein, Paula Tolle and Kelli Rendon, and their families.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Burl Klein.

A memorial service will take place at noon on Saturday, June 2, at Chapel of the Lakes Mortuary, Lakeport.

For further information call Chapel of the Lakes at 707-263-0357 or 707-994-5611.

Gerald (Gerry) Gettman passed suddenly May 10, 2012, at the age of 72.

He was born April 26, 1940, in Cheyenne, Wyo., to Lydia and Abraham Gettman.

His family moved to California when he was 4 years old. They resided in Redwood City, Calif., where Gerry attended and graduated from Sequoia High School in 1958.

He served four years in the Army during the Vietnam War. After the Army he worked for a short while at Mill Cabinet Co. before going to work for United Airlines where he was a mechanic for 28 years.

In 1977 Gerry moved to South San Francisco. In 1989 he married the love of his life and his soulmate, Jo Ann Hart Jones, and became a stepfather to her three boys. Gerry retired from United in 1995 and moved his family to Lakeport.

Along with his wife, Jo Ann, he did a lot of volunteer work for the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. He was very passionate about the foundation and their work. He also was a member of the Lakeport Elks Lodge No. 2704 and took delight in being their Santa Claus at Christmas.

Gerry was a gentle, caring person who loved his family and loved life. He liked to travel and had seen a lot of the world. He loved sports and was an avid 49ers, Sharks and Giants fan. His true love in sports was car racing and oh, what a fan of Dale Earnhardt Sr.

He is survived by his loving wife of 23 years, Jo Ann; his stepson, Mike (Denise) Jones; two grandchildren and one great-grandson; sister, Joyce Eckhardt; sister-in-law, Marilyn Gettman; nieces, Janet (Ron) Gettman, Linda (Gary) Judson, Connie (Dave) Gildersleeve, and Marsha Peterson; nephews, Gary (Cindy) Eckhardt, and Bill (Michelle) Eckhardt; also many great nieces and nephews.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Lydia and Abraham Gettman; brother, James Gettman; brother-in-law, Walter Eckhardt; and stepsons, Matthew Black (1999) and Mark Mullen (2000).

A memorial service will be held at the Lakeport Elk's Lodge, 3775 Lakeshore Blvd., Lakeport at 1 p.m., Saturday, June 16, followed by a celebration of Gerry's life and a potluck dinner.

Gerry would prefer donations to one of his favorite charities, either the Matt Black Memorial Scholarship Fund or the National Fallen Firefighters Fund. He was passionate about both.

Matt Black Scholarship Fund Lakeport Fire, 455 N. Main St., Lakeport, CA 95453 or National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, P.O. Drawer 498, Emmitsburg, MD 21727, or online for the NFFF at www.firehero.org .

For further information call Chapel of the Lakes, 707-263-0357 or 707-994-5611 or visit www.chapelofthelakes.com ; or contact Jo Ann Gettman, 707-263-3956 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Wayne David Sullivan
June 4, 1942-May 20, 2012

Wayne was born in Youngstown, Ohio, to Woodrow and Betty (Nora) Sullivan on June 4, 1942.

He grew up in Southern California where he met and married Joyce in 1959 and together they had five children.

Wayne was a very ambitious young man and always enjoyed fishing off the piers and beaches of Southern California and working on cars.

Moving to Lake County in 1973, Wayne worked as a drywall installer when he wasn't fishing or spending time with his family and friends.

Wayne met and married his second wife, Joyce, and these were good and prosperous times for Wayne.

He was a master fisherman, fishing many of the ponds, reservoirs, rivers, streams and lakes in Northern California.  

He settled in Lower Lake in 1990 where he would live the rest of his life.

Wayne, along with his son James, opened Sullivan Tire in Clearlake, Calif., in 1990.

Married to Sherry in 1999, Sherry will continue to operate Sullivan Tire in Wayne's memory. Wayne had a love of life and animals that he shared with everyone he met.

A devout Christian, Wayne went peacefully to meet his son James and many relatives and friends in Heaven on May 20, 2012.

Wayne is survived by his wife of 17 years, Sherry Sullivan; his daughters, Valarie Sullivan (Greg Stanley) and Janice Hutchinson (Joel); sons, David Sullivan (Kim) and Mike Sullivan (Kenna); step-children, Jonathan, Anthony and Kayla; 14 grandchildren, four great-grandchildren and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

Services will be held Monday, June 4, 2012, at 2 p.m. at Jones and Lewis Memorial Chapel, Lower Lake and followed by a celebration of Wayne's life at Lakeside County Park, Kelseyville, Calif.

Ida Lena "Lee" Byrne, 82, passed away on May 21, 2012.

Born and raised in Oakland, she came to Lake County with her husband Robert in 1978 after working 30 years for Pacific Telephone.

She enjoyed her friends, her 72 fish and her two cats.

She loved her crafts, which she donated yearly to the Lakeport Skilled Nursing Center. She also volunteered for the Clearlake Gleaners and the Clearlake USDA.  

She was on the board of directors of the Mount Konocti Mutual Water Co. She was one half of the “Trouble Makers” of the Concerned Citizens of the Clear Lake Riviera and one of its founding members.

Ida was preceded in death by husband, Robert, and granddaughter, Jennifer.

She is survived by her daughter, Janet; many nieces and nephews; and many, many friends.

Family and friends are invited to a celebration of life at the Riviera Community Center on Wednesday, June 6, from noon to 2:30 p.m.

Her family requests donations in her memory to Clearlake Gleaners Food Bank, Box 266, Finley, CA 95435 or DAV Chapter 83, PO Box 1195, Clearlake Oaks, CA 95423.

For further information call Chapel of the Lakes Mortuary, 707-263-0357 or 707-994-5611 or visit www.chapelofthelakes.com .

Nancy Caroline Hickey (Hennig) passed away May 23, 2012, at St. Helena Hospital.

Born in San Francisco on Aug. 9, 1938, Nancy grew up in Willows, Calif., and graduated from Sacramento State University in 1960.  

A longtime resident of Clearlake, Calif., she was an elementary school teacher for 28 years and taught at Burns Valley and Pomo Elementary schools in the Konocti Unified School District.

Nancy embodied the art of teaching in all aspects of her life. From the students in her classroom and at the piano, to the lessons in strength and perseverance she taught her friends and family, she touched and enriched many lives.  

She was preceded in death by her parents, Dr. Lloyd R. Hennig and Vera Hennig (Johnson); and her sisterm Susan Dana (Hennig).

She is survived by her brother, Jim Hennig, and sister-in-law, Sue Hinshaw of Longview, Wash.; son, James Hickey, and daughter-in-law, Elena Hickey of Davis, Calif.; son, Robert Hickey, and daughter-in law, Jessica Hickey of Seattle, Wash.; son, Daniel Hickey, and daughter-in law, Shelly Hickey of Dallas, Texas; daughter, Elizabeth Dickson (Hickey), and son-in-law, Jeff Dickson of Rio Rancho, New Mexico; and eight grandchildren.

A celebration of her life will be held later in the summer when more people can attend.

In lieu of any flowers or gifts, donations may be made to the American Cancer Society.