Gaila J. Gilliland

Tacoma, WA — Gaila Jean Gilliland, 78, of Tacoma WA, died Saturday, April 22, 2023 at a care facility with family by her side.

A memorial graveside service will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 24, 2023 at the O'Neill Cemetery in O'Neill. Bob Wynn will officiate.

Memorials may be made to Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Tacoma where Galia was a member or the Triple Negative Breast Cancer Foundation in Galia's name. 

People are encouraged to plant tulips, especially orange ones, as a way to remember Gaila and her favorite flowers.

Biglin's Mortuary in O'Neill is in charge of the local arrangements.

Originally from Shelby, Gaila was born to Howard and Gladys White on Nov. 19, 1944. She was born in Lincoln at the same hospital where her dad Howard was recovering from a lightning strike he had sustained earlier in the fall.

Gaila was raised in the Shelby area, graduating from Stromsburg High School in 1963. Gaila often dreamed of living in New York or Chicago with ready access to libraries, shopping and museums. 

She took a different path though, marrying her first husband at 18 and residing in rural Nebraska outside O'Neill. There she was a homemaker and raised four children whose ages span nearly two decades.

Gaila didn't always enjoy farm life but did have lasting affection for Ker-McGee, a cat named by one of her older boys. She made gardening interesting, trying her hand at “exotic” plants such as peanuts and eggplant alongside corn, beans and other basics. She loved catching lightning bugs and listening to meadowlark.

By 1987, Gaila returned to work outside the home, taking on various bookkeeping, economic development, property management and retail sales jobs.

After divorcing in the early 90s, Gaila remarried in 1993. 

Her specialty was leading economic development efforts in rural communities across Nebraska and later Michigan. She understood the needs of small business owners, saw opportunity in rural areas and supported efforts to honor the unique heritage of small communities. She fully immersed herself (and her family) in annual events like the Oakland Swedish Festival, AuSable River Canoe Marathon and the Wayne Chicken Show.

Gaila pursued her bachelor's degree, starting with night classes at University of Nebraska-Omaha. She graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in 1996 and masters in leadership in 2000, both from Bellevue University. Gaila went on to earn her master's of public administration from Capella University in 2012.

Gaila had striking blue eyes that would catch most anything or anyone. (She effectively convinced at least a few of her kids that she did actually have eyes in the back of her head). 

Gaila was a proud introvert, content to spend the day tearing through a good book with an endless cup of Earl Grey tea. She was known to drive while reading on occasion, deftly balancing a hard backed book on the steering wheel while traversing the Nebraska expanse. 

She had an eye for fine jewelry, interesting art and tailored clothing, believing that one should buy the best to last a lifetime. Gaila was always on the hunt for a good retail sale and “bottomless” bags of buttered popcorn at the theater. She had a narrow comfort range for her household temperature, held exacting standards and relished a Starbucks white mocha with everything on top.

Gaila had a close relationship with God and always sought a church and faith community wherever she lived. In Tacoma, Gaila was an active member of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, maintaining her involvement by email, phone and prayers when it became more difficult to go in person.

Gaila was also an avid genealogist, storyteller and artist. Genealogy was her primary interest, soaking up history and stories from ancestors long ago. Her genealogy adventures included a series of calls with a New York bookstore owner in the early 1980s from the party line phone, deep dives into each set of newly released Census records, seemingly endless gravestone rubbings and cemetery visits as part of family outings, and microfiche escapades at the Norfolk Library. Gaila was an artist with ranging interests in paper crafts, painting and sewing. In recent years she created “junk journals,” engaging friends to leave them behind at grocery stores and parks to brighten someone's day.

Gaila was also a fighter. Diagnosed with diabetes in her 40s, she managed this life-altering condition daily for 36 years, before broader awareness or automatic blood glucose readers. She trained her children to easily differentiate by taste between Coke and Diet Coke at the Hardee's drive through. After retirement in Tacoma, WA, Gaila underwent treatment for aggressive breast cancer, surviving for over a decade.

Gaila is survived by four sons John (Kris) Waugh, Kevin (Robin) Waugh, Seth Kirby (Anna Shelton) and Frank Waugh IV (Diem Duong); six grandchildren; three siblings Art White, Gloria White and Bobbi Miller; and nieces and nephews and their spouses. The family wants to acknowledge former caregiver and friend Nalanda Akers and many others who were part of Gaila's extended family.

She was preceded in death by her parents Howard and Gladys White along with many beloved aunts and uncles.