Brenda Wile

Brenda Wile of Colorado Springs, Colorado passed away on March 30, 2025, at the age of 77 after a multiyear battle with dementia and aphasia. The youngest of three sisters, she often told people that she was from LA – Lower Alabama. She was born in the small town of Brewton, Alabama. Her father Ashley Jackson Atkins, “AJ”, served in WWII and then as a fireman in both Brewton and Selma, Alabama. Her mother, Mary Faye Atkins, worked as Head Housekeeper at a local hotel.

Brenda attended Jefferson Davis Junior College in Brewton and became a 2nd grade teacher in a small community outside Selma. Teaching and working with children were lifelong passions for her. She met her future husband, David Wile, who was stationed at Craig Air Force Base, while working with the local community theatre group - The Citadel Players. At first, she was afraid to be left alone with him as they renovated an old church into a community playhouse. David was from Lynn, Massachusetts which was far above the Mason-Dixon line. She later told him that she was 18 years old before she learned that “Damn-Yankee” was two words. Despite her initial fear of this northerner, they quickly fell in love. They married and shortly thereafter headed for Ramstein Air Base in Germany.

They spent over 30 years traveling around the world on Air Force assignments with their two children Larry Michael and Kimbrough Stoddard. They lived in Germany, Texas, Colorado, Ohio, New Hampshire, Saudi Arabia, Northern Virginia (Pentagon assignment), New Mexico, and finally a return to Colorado Springs. Throughout their travels, Brenda served the Air Force community volunteering at Family Services and teaching Sunday school.

While in Riyadh, Saudia Arabia, she served as the underground Catholic Religious Education Coordinator. At Sunday school (held on Fridays), she practiced “Mutawa drills” with her students. They would gather and hide the religious textbooks in case the Mutawa (the religious police) raided the school. She supported small communities of Catholics around the city arranging communion services and sacraments, including one in her own home. A travelling Capuchin Catholic priest would visit the communities throughout the Kingdom. Annually, a bishop from Italy would sneak in to perform Confirmation. One day, the Mutawa caught the priest saying Mass in a grocery warehouse. He was arrested, head shaved, paraded through the street in his vestments and deported. Brenda was able to clear out his house and preserve religious artifacts.

When she returned to the United States, she supported the Archdiocese of Military Services for many years. She was a great advocate for the Chaplain Candidate program, hosting many events. Besides volunteering at various chapels, she also served as Parish Coordinator and Religious Education Coordinator at both Peterson Air Force Base and the Air Force Academy. She arranged visits to the Vatican and Koln, Germany for World Youth Days and planned other local events such as retreats, white water rafting, and a hike to the top of Pikes Peak. She also served as the Western Regional Director for the Military Council of Catholic Women (MCCW).

Brenda never hesitated to take leadership roles. She was a YMCA Tri-Hi-Y leader, started a prayer shawl ministry for cancer patients, and was active in the Beta Sigma Phi Sorority. In BSP, she served in several chapter offices and as city-council president. Another passion for her was the Red Hat Society. She served in several positions and became the “Prime Mistress” of the city-wide Queens’ Council. Brenda was also an avid collector of clowns, Santa Clauses, and cookbooks.

Brenda passed away 19 days after celebrating her 52nd wedding anniversary. When asked how she stayed married for so long, she would answer that she couldn’t give up on their marriage, having worked too hard training her husband. Brenda is survived by her husband David, son Larry, daughter Kimbrough, two grandchildren Benjamin and Anika, and two great-grandchildren Jensen and Daxton. She also has many nephews and nieces – Robbie Treese, Brett Treese, Del Treese, Warren Kennedy, Shari Kennedy Wimberly, Leslie Kennedy Reynolds, Russell Morin, Amy Morin Bradley, Norman Merrill, Richard Merrill, and Julie Wile.

Flowers may be delivered to the funeral home at Memorial Gardens prior to the visitation hours. You may order flowers from any provider you would like or from Sue’s Floral https://www.suesfloral.com/sympathy. Look at the "For the Service" sections.