Leland "Lee" K. Kane

Leland Keith Kane, 90, died on December 28, 2023, at his home in Waukee, Iowa. A celebration of life will be held at McLaren’s Resthaven Chapel, 801-19th Street, West Des Moines, Iowa 50265, on Saturday, January 6, 2024 at 12 p.m. noon. A private family burial will be at Resthaven Cemetery in West Des Moines.

Lee was born on June 8, 1933, in Fairfield, Iowa to Earl Kane and Hazel Hendricks Kane. After graduating from Fairfield High School in 1951 he received a degree in business and education from Parsons College in 1955.

Lee taught and coached at Tracy High School before joining the Equitable Life Insurance Company. Lee worked at the Equitable for 34 years as a section manager for the company, earning his certification for the NASD securities exams and his C.L.U. designation.

Lee met Beverly June Healey at Parsons and they were married on July 24, 1955. They had two children, Jeffrey Lee Kane and Julie Ann Kane-Ritsch. Widowed in 1980, Lee married Nancy Vaske on June 5, 1982.

Lee retired from the Equitable in 1991 and returned to teaching. He taught a course on the principals of insurance at the DMACC, and he became a frequent substitute teacher at Johnston, Urbandale, Dowling, and other local high schools well into his 80s.

Throughout his life, Lee was active as a coach, sports announcer, and athlete. He launched the high school soccer program in Urbandale and served as head coach from 1985-1987. He worked in the Urbandale Activities Office for 7 years and received the Outstanding Service Award in 1997. With an encyclopedic knowledge of the high school athletic community, he served as the head announcer for the 2005 Boys State Soccer Tournament, provided color commentary on WHO for the Drake Relays with Jim Zebel from 1981-1995, and announced Urbandale athletic events for 40 years. Never content to just sit on the sidelines, Lee participated in the Iowa Senior Games earning 163 medals and setting six records. This distinction earned him a spot in the Senior Games Hall of Fame in 2011 and the Parsons College Wall of Fame in 2012.

In the community, Lee was involved in various community beautification and betterment projects as part of the Urbandale Action Council. After years of service on Urbandale’s 4th of July committee, Lee served as the parade’s Grand Marshall in 2014. A lifelong amateur poet, Lee published Patterns of Life, a collection of poems written throughout his life.

Lee is survived by his daughter Julie (David) Kane-Ritsch, son Jeffrey (Michele) Kane, son Jeff (Tina) Vaske and daughter Lisa (Lars) Ohrstrom. Lee is also survived by many beloved grandchildren and great grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to either the Ronald McDonald House at rmhc.org, or the Kiwanis Miracle League at kiwanismiracleleague.org. Lee’s book of poems can be purchased at https://www.blurb.com/b/7368165-patterns-of-life