Died of respiratory failure the afternoon of Tuesday, October 23, at Tabitha Health in Lincoln, NE. at the age of 93. Lila was born September 3, 1925 at Sears Point, CA, the youngest of five children. After her mother became ill, she lived mostly with extended family until her marriage to LeRoy George Thompson on June 15, 1940. They had three children: Ronald LeRoy, born June 20, 1941; Donna Mae, born July 27, 1942; and Marsha Mary, born June 29, 1944. Lila and LeRoy divorced, and in April 1946, she married Thomas (Tom) Irvin Gregory. To this union were born Michael Thomas on September 20, 1947 and Patricia Lynn on March 20, 1953. After Tom’s death in April 1983, Lila married Benjamin (Ben) Stout, who passed away in 1996. Later in life, Lila shared a happy domestic partnership with Herbert (Herb) Linnabary until his death in 2004. Lila was a charter member of Resurrection Lutheran Church in Haysville, KS and sang in their choir for decades. She loved to sing, having performed live shows in her younger years. Lila worked many years in the tool crib at Cessna and was proud to receive her GED in 1970. A child of the Depression, Lila wasted nothing, even saving leftover microwaved vegetables for soup. She knew no strangers, was spirited and sassy, and had an indomitable will to survive. Lila’s family was her pride and joy; she loved both people and animals with fierce generosity.
Lila was preceded in death by her parents, Annie and Oscar; siblings Arnold, Mabel, Sylvia (Dode), and Orvin; partners LeRoy, Tom, Ben, and Herb; son Ronald, and grandson Scott.
She is survived by her beloved Shih Tzu, Toby; children Donna (husband Dan), Marty (husband David), Mike (wife Sharon), and Patti (husband Jonathan); grandchildren Danielle, Angel, Terri, Christina, Jeff, Jon, Eve, Aaron, Ethan, Scott, and Brad; great-grandchildren Trisha, Garrett, Kyla, Dakota Thomton, Dakota Fisher, Chloe, Miranda, Mitchell, Emma, Alex, Addison, Anna, Madeline, Riley, Everett, and Grayson; and great-great-grandchildren Maddisin, Gauge, and Thalia.
Lila's service will be 11:00am, Saturday, Oct. 27, 2018 with visitation prior from 9-11am all held at Resurrection Lutheran Church in Haysville, KS, burial to follow at Resthaven Mortuary.
