William Lakey

For Grandma:

As I sit down to write Grandpa’s obituary, I’m struck by the impossibility of the task. How can mere words capture all that he was? How do I sum up 87 years of a life so fully and quietly lived? My heart aches with the inadequacy of anything I could write.

To me, Grandpa is the smell of comfort—flannel, spices, and maybe a hint of beer. He’s scruffy beard kisses on the cheek, quiet humor that surfaced at just the right moments. He’s a teacher—passing down his knowledge of cars, cooking, and so much more to all of us kids. He’s hours and hours of westerns, and my favorite movie becoming Lonesome Dove just because I got to watch it beside him. He’s a soft chuckle and a sly smile. He’s “God love her, someone has to.” He’s the steady presence in every room, reminding me to mind my manners, but winking when I’m sassy—because I think he always secretly loved my spunk.

So yes, I will write an obituary, full of dates and facts. But it won’t do him justice. No words can truly express what he was to this family. What he was to his kids and grandkids. And most of all, what he was to you.

I know what love looks like because I watched it every day of my life.

Thank you for asking me to write this.

With love,Hannah Rie

William Don Lakey (known as Don by all who knew him), 87, passed away peacefully at home on Tuesday, July 15, 2025.

Born on February 4, 1938, in Ava, Missouri, to William Lakey and Lena Fleetwood, Don spent his early years traveling the country with his family, harvesting crops and attending a number of schools in towns like Wilder, Riggins, Jordan Valley, Horseshoe Bend, and McCall. He graduated from Jordan Valley High School in 1957 and briefly attended Boise Junior College before heading to California to work as a machinist. California wasn’t quite the right fit, so he returned to join his parents in the restaurant business—a decision that would shape much of his life.

Don proudly served in the Army National Guard from 1961 to 1966.

On July 30, 1963, he married the love of his life, Joan Donahue, adopting her two children, Julie and Jed. The family grew with the birth of twins, Kevin and Angie, in 1964. Don and Joan opened Lakey’s Cafe in Cambridge in 1965 and took over Lakey’s Cafe in Caldwell from his parents in 1969, before returning to Cambridge in 1974. They raised their children at the family’s beloved hot springs property, where they lived for nearly three decades. In 1987, they opened Lakey’s at Alpine, continuing their legacy of hard work and hospitality.

Don often joked that he married Joan so he’d never have to talk again—but those who knew him well heard him speak plenty when the topic suited him. He was passionate about cars, the outdoors, and his family, and never short on a story worth telling. Together, he and Joan built and restored many homes, ran many businesses, and built a beautiful life full of love.

He was a quiet man who let his actions do the talking, and he will be deeply missed by all who knew him. Whether you saw him at one of the cafe locations, in church with Joan, or supporting one of his grandchildren at a sporting event, his strength of character, dry wit, and little spark of sass were impossible to miss.

Don leaves behind a large and loving family, including his wife of 62 years, Joan; their children, Julie Harvey, Jed Lakey (Missy), Kevin Lakey (Tina), and Angie Lakey-Campbell (Mike); eleven grandchildren, twenty-five great-grandchildren, and his beloved pup, Buddy.

He is preceded in death by his father, Bill Lakey; mother, Lena (Fleetwood) Lakey; sisters, Stella (Lakey) Smallwood and Anita (Lakey) Naillon; son-in-law, Tom Harvey; and grandson, Tim Harvey.

A vigil will be held at 9:00 AM on Wednesday, July 30, 2025, at Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Cambridge, followed by a funeral Mass at 9:30 AM and graveside services at the Cambridge Cemetery.