Lila Ellen (Rife) Williamson, after a long, fruitful life, passed on to her next incarnation, October 14, 2018.
Born in Lewistown, Montana to Earl and Winnie Rife on December 3, 1925, Lila spent her childhood in Montana. She developed an abiding love for the spectacular expanse of central Montana, riding horseback to herd cattle at the family ranch. Tragically, her father died from a lightning strike when she was eleven. As the oldest of five children, Lila helped care for her younger brothers and sisters.
In 1944, after graduating high school and no longer content with ranch life, Lila moved to Everett, Washington. After the expansiveness of Montana, the vibrancy of wartime Everett energized her. She worked at Boeing as a riveter.
When WWII ended, the forests of the great northwest provided her with a job at a logging camp. There she met Edsel Williamson. They married in February, 1947 and began a family. In 1954 they bought property on Bainbridge Island where they built a home together.
Home and family occupied a central place in Lila’s heart and she worked tirelessly to create “The Place in Seabold”. She expended her energies to provide a loving and comfortable home for her family. She became a member of Seabold Methodist Church and participated in Scouting.
Separating from Edsel in 1965, Lila worked part-time, taking night classes in creative writing and bookkeeping. In 1968 she secured a bookkeeping job with Alaska Native Industries in Seattle. She remained with them until her retirement in 1990.
A life-long learner, Lila continued her interest in creative writing, filling numerous notebooks with short stories and poetry. She developed a deep interest in, metaphysics and reincarnation. After retirement she became an active member in the Island Astrology Club and Kitsap Senior Computer Club.
Her loving and welcoming home was always filled with books- her curious mind, always filled with questions. She once related a dream in which she was in a vast library containing all of the wisdom of the ages. To her, this was bliss.
Lila was preceded in death by her former husband, Edsel Williamson of Port Angeles, Washington and her son, Scott Williamson of Bainbridge Island, and brother John Rife. She will be dearly missed by her children: Marc Williamson (Linda Sohlberg) of Bainbridge Island, Chris Williamson of Coos Bay, Oregon, Maureen Anderson (Terry) of Graham Washington and Lori Haubrich (Bob Neumann) of Kingston Washington, as well as her siblings Jim (Janet) Rife, Bonnie (Dale) Sandstrom and Claudia (Mac) McMartin, and eight grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
A Celebration of Life will be held Saturday, April 27th, noon to 3:00pm at the Seabold Methodist Church, Bainbridge Island.
