Anacortes resident Deanna Kay Malseed, 65, passed away Tuesday, April 3, 2007. She was born on January 18, 1942, in Taylor, Texas to the late Mabel Elaine and Joe Bibb Gossett. Kay moved to Gainesville, TX in 1945, and then moved to Silsbee, TX in June 1955. Kay graduated from Silsbee High School in 1960 and obtained her degree in Physical Education and English at Lamar Tech in Beaumont, TX.

Upon graduating in 1964, Kay taught Physical Education at Huntington Beach High School in California. Additionally, she was the swimming coach and school drill team instructor. Kay met and fell in love with Dave Malseed, and they were married on June 17, 1967, in Huntington Beach, CA. Her new life consisted of extensive periods of travel, punctuated by intense periods of work.

Their honeymoon was a three-week camping trip by small plane from California to Alaska and back. Kay's next adventure began in 1970 when they traveled on a thirty-foot sailboat from California to Panama, where they both worked. Next sailing westward to New Zealand and back to Hawaii where the boat was sold in 1980.

Kay fell in love with Anacortes when visiting here. In 1980, they started building their first home, a commercial building and opened a business, Anacortes Refrigeration. Kay was a real estate agent in Anacortes. She worked at Island Hospital and also for Dr. Rezvani. In 1986 she moved to Anacortes Refrigeration where she organized and operated the front office until the business was sold.

In 1993 they sold the business and started motor home touring, crisscrossing the country five times in five years. The motor home was sold to buy Kay's dream boat "Wave Dancer" in North Carolina. She sailed the east coast of the U.S. and the eastern and western seas of the Caribbean and transited the canal and then westward to Australia. They returned to Anacortes in 2004.

Kay was a staunch patriot and troop supporter, gathering items and snacks to send in packages for our troops overseas. She was very community oriented and was a member of Soroptimist International of Anacortes. Kay attended the Anacortes United Methodist Church. She was preceded in death by her parents and her Aunt Alice and Uncle Ted Bartlett. Kay is survived by her husband, Dave of Anacortes; brother, Terry Gossett and sister-in-law, Bee of Moss Beach, CA, brother, Mike Gossett and sister-in-law, Jan of San Marcos, TX; nieces, Rhea Gossett of Oakland, CA, Beth Mc Kenney and husband, Jason of Tyler TX; and nephews, Lee Gossett of Moss Beach CA, and Drew Gossett and his wife, Hilary of Plano, TX.

Kay was a kind spirit with a beautiful soul. She will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved her. Kay's friends and loved ones are invited to attend a Memorial Service in Celebration of Kay's Life at 2:00 p.m., Sunday, May 20, 2007, at the Skyline Beach Club in Anacortes. Memorials are suggested to the Soroptimist International of Anacortes. Arrangements are in the care of Evans Funeral Chapel and Crematory, Inc., Anacortes, WA. To share memories of Kay, please bookmark the online guest register at www.evanschapel.com/obituary/kay-malseed