Arleatha Jean Prothe

Arleatha Jean “Lee” Prothe

Arleatha Jean “Lee” Prothe died on August 3, 2026, at the age of 90. She was born Arleatha Jean Mayer in Vancouver, Washington, on September 26, 1935, and she spent her life making sure the people around her were well fed and never running late.

Lee married Donald Prothe in 1954. Together they raised five children and ran two family stores, and somehow she kept the books balanced and the house clean enough to eat off the floor, often at the same time. After they sold the business, she spent many happy years as the office bookkeeper at Resurrection Lutheran Church, where the same steady competence she brought to the store ledgers found a second home.

Her respite was a house on the Long Beach Peninsula. There you would find her at the stove, slinging pancakes and French toast to keep up with the bottomless appetites of her grandchildren. She once chased a live crab across the kitchen floor after it refused to jump into the boiling pot on its own.

After Don passed in 2014, Lee shared her last ten years with Ed Kiger, a wonderful companion who brought out her smile and never stopped making her laugh. They loved long drives, trips to the coast, and combing estate sales for the next treasure. And especially stopping for ice cream at DQ. Many evenings, you would find them catching the sunset from Ed's backyard patio swing.

She is survived by her five children, Cheryl Storey, Vickie Ellis, Michael Prothe, Pamela Prothe, and Patrick Prothe, along with seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

A service to celebrate her life will be held at 11:00 a.m. on August 22 at Resurrection Lutheran Church. Remembrances may be made to Resurrection Lutheran Church, 1700 N.E. 132nd Ave., Portland, OR 97230.