Rex Jay Morehouse

Rex Jay Morehouse, Pendleton, October 4, 1938 – October 1, 2022
Rex Jay Morehouse, our loving father, grandfather, uncle, cousin passed away peacefully with family in his home on October 1 st . He will be greatly missed by friends and family alike.

Rex was born on a fall day in Deaconess Hospital in Wenatchee, Washington to parents Ernest and Leona Morehouse of Dryden. He was their second child joining his sister Claudia who was 5 years old at the time.  He attended elementary and middle school in Wenatchee until his parents moved the family to Spirit Lake, Idaho in 1955. One of the stories about this trip was how they ran out of gas and he took his packed bike out of the truck to ride to get gas so they could get to their destination.  The family moved during the summer and Rex did a lot of fishing at his new
home. Rex was a sophomore when he started to attend Spirit Lake High School and was one of 11 in his graduating class. Rex joined the United States Marine Corps days after graduating from high school in 1957 and returned to Spirit Lake after his honorable discharge.

Rex met the love of his life and married Lesley in 1962. Shortly after being married they started a family having a son Lance and daughter Audry three
years later. Rex and Lesley celebrated 50 years of marriage before her untimely passing in 2013.

Rex’s first job was working in the Western Auto store they owned in Spirit Lake. He later worked at Cominco American starting in the warehouse and working his way into the electronics division. He returned to hardware working at Pay and Pak in Coeur d Alene, ID, and Thurman Electric and PGG after moving to Pendleton in 1986. As one of his friends put it, Rex knew what you needed before you even realized it!

Rex and Lesley helped develop the Sunridge Retirement Community in Pendleton where they worked as Assistant Managers for many years. Rex loved taking the residents to appointments and outings in the community and was resident handyman.  Many of you in the Pendleton Community might know Rex because of his political involvement. Prior to coming to Pendleton, he was the Mayor of Spirit Lake, ID and President of the Kootenai County Property Owners Association. Lesley discouraged his involvement when they first moved to Pendleton but it didn’t take long for him to start writing letters to the editor and attending city council meetings. Rex had strong beliefs and would go to great lengths to make a point on issues that mattered to him most. One of his strongest gifts was to do the research and tell it like it is.

Rex was a very kind soul and always a gentleman. He will be greatly missed by family and friends and his cat DC. He is survived by daughter Audry Moede, son Lance Morehouse, grandkids and great grandkids.

Please join family and friends for a memorial service at Pendleton Pioneer Chapel, Folsom Bishop 131 SE Byers Ave. at 1:00 on Thursday, October
13 th . In lieu of flowers please make a donation to you favorite charity in his name.