March 15 1929 April 16 2019
Lila’s Obituary Lila M. Daugherty was born Lila Jean McKeever on March 15, 1929 in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania to Mildred Lila Williams and James Russell McKeever. Shortly thereafter, she and her mother went to live with her grandparents in North Versailles, Pennsylvania. Lila’s grandparents had a summer home in Ware Neck, Virginia, so summers were spent at a cottage with a lovely view on the Ware River. Lila attended school in McKeesport, Pennsylvania and graduated from McKeesport High School in 1947. She moved to Virginia shortly thereafter to work for the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) at Langley Field, Virginia from 1947 to 1952. She met her future husband, William Franklin Daugherty (Bill Daugherty), at NACA, and they married on October 25, 1952, and lived in Hampton, Virginia for a short period of time before moving to California, where they resided in the Belmont Shore neighborhood of Long Beach. In 1955, Lila and Bill began an adventure of a lifetime, moving to the Space Coast of Florida, where Bill worked as an aeronautical engineer for North American Aviation, and they had their first child, Sharon, while living in Cocoa Beach, Florida. The “Space Race” took them back to California in 1957, and daughter Leslie was born shortly thereafter. Their son, Mark, was also born in California. Bill was transferred to White Sands, New Mexico and then on to Florida to follow the Apollo mission. Lila, with their three children drove to Florida to set up housekeeping and get the children enrolled in school before Bill’s work assignment allowed him to follow. Lila loved life in Florida, and especially in the Cocoa Beach and Cape Canaveral area. She was an avid swimmer and loved to spend time on the beach with her family. She and Bill also enjoyed socializing with other aeronautical engineers and astronauts. But Florida did not end up being Lila’s permanent residence. In 1964, Bill was transferred back to California, and Lila and Bill moved to Fullerton, California, where their children continued their schooling. Lila was an active volunteer on the Raymond School PTA; and was a “soccer mom” before her time taking her children to all of their weekly sports, music, dance, and art activities. She sewed most of her daughters’ outfits plus her own for many years. It was when they moved to Fullerton that Lila and Bill joined Morningside Presbyterian Church, and Lila served for many years on the Board for the Children’s Center and Preschool. In 1970, Lila rejoined the workforce as a legal secretary for the Stedman and Menicucci Law Firm (later to be Stedman and Smith) and worked there for 10 years. In 1981, Lila went to work for Hughes Aircraft as a secretary, and retired from Hughes in 2001. She loved working, and always enjoyed the camaraderie of her coworkers. Lila enjoyed traveling, and each year she traveled back to her roots in Ware Neck, Virginia to visit with family and friends. She always made a stop to Williamsburg, where she enjoyed the history of our nation. Her travels included Hawaii, Europe, Mexico, and throughout most of the United States. Lila was a loving daughter to her own mother, and took care of her in her last years of life. She loved her children, and was delighted to become a grandmother and great-grandmother. Lila passed away with her family by her side on April 16, 2019. Services will be held in Ware Neck, Virginia on Saturday, October 5, 2019 at Beulah Baptist Church. A reception will follow. She is survived by her children Mark Daugherty, Leslie Baker, and Sharon Cordes; grandchildren Chasen Daugherty, Tyler Daugherty, Jennifer Gregory, Kristina Baker, and Colin Baker; and great grandchildren Cole Gregory, Beau Gregory, and Aurora Daugherty. Donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association at www.alz.org/ or by mail at: 225 N. Michigan Ave., Fl. 17, Chicago, IL 6060. Alzheimer’s Association is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization, and donations are tax deductible. Read More
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Lila Jean Daugherty March 15 1929 April 16 2019.
McAulay & Wallace Mortuaries: Low Cost Burial & Cremation
Death notice for the town of: Fullerton, state: California