Daryl Lee Mccauley Sr

Daryl Lee McCauley Sr., 49, died Oct. 4, 2015, surrounded by his family. He had battled cancer for two and a half years.

Daryl Sr. was born in Walla Walla on July 20, 1966. He was the second child of D. Marlene (Price) McCauley and the late Clayton “Mack” McCauley.

In March 2012, Daryl Sr. suffered a severe back injury that left him barely able to walk and unable to work and was diagnosed with stage IV colorectal cancer in December of the same year. He fought a long, hard battle with his wife, LaRhonda, by his side every step of the way. Daryl Sr. grew increasingly ill and by September 2015 was placed on hospice. Daryl Sr. knew no strangers, only people he hadn’t met yet. He was an amazing husband, father, brother, son, uncle and friend. He will be greatly missed by many.

Daryl Sr. was a very outgoing person who loved his family and loved being with friends. He had a gift of befriending strangers wherever he went and kept in touch with many of them throughout the years. He was eager to lend a helping hand to those who needed it. Daryl grew up in Walla Walla and went to Washington Elementary School, Garrison Jr. High School and graduated from Walla Walla High School in 1984. In his early years, he played the drums in the school band. As a young boy, he was a member of the Wiilatpu Pathfinder Club and Boy Scouts of America.

His passion to participate and belong in meaningful groups and clubs continued as an adult. He was a member of the Walla Walla Elks Lodge #287, the Washington State Snowmobile Association and Blue Mountain Snowmobile Club.

Daryl became a single parent raising two little boys at a very young age. Although it was difficult, Daryl was determined to provide for them and be a good father and role model.

In 1994, he met the love of his life, his soulmate, and who he lovingly referred to as his angel, LaRhonda. Daryl loved music and they attended many rock concerts together, including a couple of Grateful Dead shows, one in Portland and another in Las Vegas.

The dynamic duo formed Premier Roofing and Gutters and finally wed in 1997, and Daryl gained two more sons. In 1999, their beautiful daughter was born. Daryl enjoyed putting on his suit and tie for the annual Father-Daughter Ball he and his daughter attended. In 2006, Daryl changed careers and joined the sales team at Blue Book Publishing.

For a few months each year, this new career took him to Eastern Oregon, where Joseph became his second home and the people he met became family. He also became a representative for ACN, which allowed he and his wife to travel the country and meet new people.

Daryl was an avid snowmobiler and winters were spent riding in the mountains around Washington and Oregon with his family and friends. He served on the board of the Washington State Snowmobile Association and consecutive terms as president and state representative of the Blue Mountain Snowmobile Club. Summers were spent at the Snake River and Wallowa Lake with his family and friends camping, boating, and, of course, fishing. He traded the ski boat for a fishing boat and Daryl finally had time and a boat to do what he loved, fish!

Daryl traveled to Southern Idaho to meet up with son, Dustin, to fish on several occasions. He enjoyed hunting too and finally got his trophy buck on the family property. Daryl enjoyed watching sports, and his all-time favorite team was the Seahawks. Daryl was very handy and construction-oriented. He completely remodeled their family home with his son, Daryl Jr., working alongside him; it included a “man cave,” with multiple televisions, bar, sound system and pool table. In the fall of 2011, Daryl and his wife started 4 Corners Construction and began building their dream log home in Dayton on the family farm. In July 2015, their dream home caught fire and burned to the ground and the couple was never able to finish the dream.

Daryl Sr. was preceded in death by his father, Clayton “Mack” McCauley; a brother, Michael Kirkwood; and a grandson, Deckland McCauley. Daryl Sr. is survived at home by his wife, LaRhonda (Long) McCauley; and daughter, Kaelee L. McCauley; his sons, Daryl Lee Jr. (Sasha) from Longview, Wash., Dustin Lane McCauley of Longview, Joshua Stedman of Walla Walla and Zachary Davis of Walla Walla; his mother, D. Marlene McCauley of Walla Walla; brother, Leslie L. McCauley of Phoenix, Ariz.; sister and brother-in-law, Pamela L. (McCauley) and Dave Chapman; brothers, Wayne L. (Diana) McCauley of Walla Walla, Richard Kirkwood of Greeley, Colo., Steven Kirkwood of Phoenix; sisters, Tamara (McCauley) and Richard Jones of Dayton, Colleen (McCauley) Gonzales of Walla Walla, Debra (McCauley) and Tom Jamison of Walla Walla; grandson, Kaednce R. McCauley; granddaughters, Wyntr R. McCauley, Adyson Stedman, Iris McCauley and Zola McCauley; and nieces, Jessika and Addie Chapman.

Memorial service will be held Saturday, Oct. 24, 2015, at Herring Groseclose Funeral Home at 2 pm; celebration of life to immediately follow. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to Blue Mountain Humane Society and Walla Walla Community Hospice through the funeral home.

Special thanks to Walla Walla Community Hospice; Providence St. Mary’s Cancer Center staff, nurses and doctors; and Herring Groseclose Funeral Home.