Obituary of Terry L. Sallee

Terry L. Sallee, 75, of Walton, KY, passed away on Friday, April 28, 2023, at Florence Park Nursing & Rehab Center, surrounded by his loving family after a hard-fought battle with dementia. The son of the late Mary {Sirmons} and Stanley Sallee, Terry was born in Covington on May 12, 1947.

Terry knew God and growing up was a member of Covington Mainstreet Methodist Church, where he sang in the children’s choir. He loved soulful music and would not hesitate to recite lyrics if the moment called for it. Most famously, “you can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you just might find you get what you need.”

He was a graduate of Simon Kenton High School, class of 1967, and became an ASE Certified Mechanic. After high school, he served in the United States Navy. He was based out of Jacksonville Florida and served on the USS English, USS Waldron, and USS Turner. He also toured the Mediterranean.

Terry owned and operated Terry’s Garage in Walton. The sign out front said, “I get by with a little help from my friends,” he did his best to serve others in a fair and honest way. He enjoyed tinkering and customizing his own cars, whether it was a Pontiac Lemans, VW Bus, or Stepside Chevy. He was a frequent visitor to car shows and he loved one-of-a-kind things.

He served on the Walton City Council for several years and helped build the city park. He was presented the Daniel Boone Award from Boone County and the Mayoral Award from the city of Walton after helping to rescue a baby from a car that went into a pond. Terry was also a Kentucky Colonel.

Most importantly, he cherished the time spent with his family. Terry and his wife, Brenda, were foster parents to many kids for a few years and opened their home to anyone in need (whether he knew them or not) and never passed up the opportunity to hold a baby. There was nothing Terry cherished more than his loved ones. Terry will be most remembered for his unique mind, sense of humor, and kind heart.

Those that are left to carry on Terry’s legacy are his beloved wife of 46 years, Brenda Millett Sallee; daughters LaDonna (Jay) Fultz and Johnnie (Chris) Hanrahan; sister Rebecca Petty; grandchildren Sarah, Stanley, Kayla, Jason, Isaac, Latasha, Abigayle, Collin, Emma, and Ava; 7 great-grandchildren; sister-in-law Becky Sallee; and many nieces, nephews, and bonus family members.

In addition to his parents, Terry was preceded in death by his son Terry Sallee II; grandson Casey Sallee; aunt Aline Sirmons; brother Gerry Sallee; father-in-law Norval Millett; and many more close friends and relatives.

A visitation will be held between 11 AM and 1 PM on Thursday, May 4^th with his funeral service to begin immediately following the visitation at 1 PM at Chambers & Grubbs Funeral Home, 45 North Main St. Walton, KY 41094. Terry will be laid to rest at Walton Cemetery where military rites will be held. Memorial donations may be made to the Association of Frontotemporal Degeneration at https://www.classy.org/give/381228/#!/donation/checkout. For directions, to view the life tribute video, or leave an online condolence, please visit the corresponding tabs on this page.