Brandon J. Lea

Brandon J. Lea, age 40, of Kearney, passed away on Monday, March 9, 2026 at CHI Health Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney. Memorial services will be on Tuesday, March 17, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. at Horner Lieske McBride & Kuhl Funeral and Cremation Services in Kearney. Pastor Holden Barry will officiate and burial will be at the Pleasanton Cemetery. There will be no public visitation. Memorials are suggested to the family. Please visit www.hlmkfuneral.com to leave a tribute or message of condolence. Horner Lieske McBride & Kuhl Funeral and Cremation Services is in charge of arrangements. Brandon was born July 9, 1985, in Loveland, Colorado to James and Kim (Brown) Lea. He attended Pleasanton High School and graduated with the Class of 2003. He later attended Central Community College, where he earned a degree in Construction Management. Brandon was most recently employed at Midland Molding in Kearney. Brandon was known for his vibrant personality and ability to bring laughter wherever he went. Often described as the life of the party, he had a gift for making people smile and never missed an opportunity to make a joke or prank someone. Brandon was incredibly caring and greeted everyone with a warm hug. He loved driving around his 1972 Chevy pickup and revving up the engine, spending time roughhousing with his nieces and nephews and enjoyed working with his hands, hunting pheasants out of the plum thickets, fishing in the Harlan Spillway with his brothers and being outdoors whenever he could. Brandon will be remembered as the person who would give the shirt off his back to help someone in need and for the effortless way he made people smile and feel loved. He always tried to find the positive in every situation. Above all else, he loved his son, Tieghen, and his family deeply. He will be forever missed. Survivors include his father, James Lea of Pleasanton; stepmother, Wanda Snider of Overton; son, Tieghen Lea of Kearney; brothers, Gary (Whitney) Lea of Kearney, Corey (Mara) Snider of Overton, Justin Snider of Overton; sisters, Desiree (Cory) DeHerrera / Wilson of Kearney and Mandy (Kevin) Converse of Lexington; aunts and uncles, Roger (Boris) and Laura Lea of McCool Junction, Jerry Keen of Kearney, Stacey Eply of Kearney, Sheila (David) Prosser of NC, Judy (Mark) Emerson of Gibbon, Joyce Keen of Arlington; nieces and nephews, Sabrina (Alex) and Everleigh Collins of MT, Garrett, Zach, Kaylee and Isaac Converse of Lexington, Avaya, Emery, and Bronx Lea of Kearney, Bentley and Tyrehn DeHerrera / Wilson of Kearney, Aybrie, Maddie, Emory and Rylan Snider of Overton and other loving family members and friends. Brandon was preceded in death by his mother, Kim Brown; Grandparents, Gary (Joker) and Evelyn Lea of Pleasanton, Bob and Donna Placzek of Kearney, Carolyn Lea of Pleasanton; uncles, Gerald (Pork) Lea of Pleasanton, David Brown of Kearney, Brad Brown of Omaha, John Keen of Kearney.

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Brandon J. Lea

July 9, 1985 - March 9, 2026