Ila Jean Speer

Ila Jean Knapp Speer was born in July 1938 in Pasco, Washington, to parents Melvin Edward Knapp and Helen Mary Haas Sullivan, and went to heaven in December 2024.

She married Master Chief Petty Officer Alton Earl Speer in 1957, and together they built a life full of love, laughter, and bold pursuits. Their partnership spanned more than six decades of devotion, adventure, and unwavering support until Alton’s passing in April 2020.

A woman of many hats, both literally and figuratively, Ila’s life was a testament to determination and creativity. She earned her beauty operator’s license at just 18 and went on to own and operate a beauty shop in California. Never one to be confined by convention, she later launched a painting contractor business in Virginia called Petticoat Painters, proving that grit and grace could go hand in hand.

With a keen eye for transformation and possibility, Ila spent time flipping houses, breathing new life into old spaces, and turning them into homes filled with warmth.

Her entrepreneurial spirit continued with a donut shop in Darrington affectionately named Calories and Coffee, where locals found comfort, conversation, and a few extra sprinkles of joy.

After raising her children and putting them through school, Ila embarked on yet another chapter, becoming a registered nurse and serving at Western State Hospital with compassion and care.

Ila was known for her humor, her kindness to everyone she met, and her adventurous soul. She lived boldly, loved deeply, and left behind a legacy of resilience and generosity.

She was the proud mother of two children: Christa Butters of Wauna and Scott (Angie) Speer of Forks. She was also a loving grandmother to Alex (Morris) Jacobson and great-grandmother to Landon and Luke Jacobson, all of Forks.

Her family was her greatest joy, and her love for them was unwavering.

She is laid to rest alongside her beloved husband at Tahoma National Cemetery in Kent, a final resting place that honors their lifelong devotion and shared legacy of service.