Kalee Ann Lingle, 60, of Missoula, passed away peacefully on September 30, 2026.

Born on February 28, 1966, in Houston, Texas, to James David Holmes and Barbara Charlene Dougherty Holmes, Kalee lived a life marked by joy, strength, and a deep love for serving others. Her family was always her number one priority. She gave so much of herself to the people she loved, and she never hesitated to put someone else first.

Kalee had a smile and a laugh that could fill a room. She brightened every room she walked into, and somehow made the people around her feel brighter too. She had a gift for making people feel seen, loved, and cared for. Whether you had known her for years or had just met her, Kalee had a way of making you feel like you mattered.

Family was at the heart of everything Mom did. She spent every moment she could with her children and grandchildren, and the time she shared with them was among the greatest joys of her life. She loved being a mom and a grandmother, and she gave her family a love that will continue to live on through every one of them.

Kalee made sure she never missed the moments that mattered. She would drive miles to watch her grandchildren play sports and travel across states to be there for graduations and the important milestones in their lives. No distance was ever too far, and no moment was ever too small. If her family was there, Kalee wanted to be there too. She showed her love not only through her words, but by showing up again and again, no matter how far she had to go.

She showed us that love is not just something you say, it is something you do. For Kalee, love meant showing up.

Kalee will be remembered for her strength and her love. Her strength was not simply in the things she endured, but in the way she continued to love through them. She taught those around her that love can carry us through the hardest seasons of life.

"Through every joy, every hardship, and every season of life, love remains. It is the bond that holds family together and the legacy that lives on when we are gone."

Kalee is survived by her husband, Jay Lingle; her children and their families: daughter, Nutasha Sanders and her husband, BJ, and their children, Makayla, Aaliyah, Jayce, and Alexis; son, Caddo Gardner and his wife, Brittany, and their children, Jayce, Kelcie, Kaiden, and Gaige; son, Caylin Gardner and his wife, Kayla, and their children, Dalyn, Emmalyn, and Lincoln; and Matt Pfaff and his wife, Megan, and their daughters, Bailie and Charlie. She is also survived by her siblings, Sherry, Bill, David, Jamie, Lorie, Robbie, and Shelley.

A celebration of Kalee's life will be held at Sunset Memorial on Mullan Road in Missoula in the spring of 2027. The date and time will be announced at a later date. Kalee never said goodbye. She would always say, "I'll see you."

So this is not goodbye, Mom.

We'll see you.

Kalee will be deeply missed, but the Love she gave will remain. She leaves behind a family who was blessed to know her, to laugh with her, to be loved by her, and to learn from her example. She showed us what it means to love deeply, to care for others, to keep going, and to make the people around you feel seen.

Her life was a gift, and her LOVE is her legacy.

"The greatest legacy we leave is the love we gave and the love we shared."