Lyla June Husband

Lyla June Hutchison Husband peacefully transitioned to her new home in heaven on Saturday, 28 February 2026, with her children by her side. Lyla was born, 2 June 1928, in Burke, South Dakota. Her loving parents were Lloyd Owen Hutchison and Pansy Violet Crisman. Lyla had one sibling, older brother, Eldrid Lloyd Hutchison. Farming in South Dakota during the Dust Bowl and the Depression was hard. In 1934, the family moved to Camas, Washington and Lloyd soon took a job with Crown Zellerbach Paper Mill, where he worked until he retired in 1965. The family joined St. John’s Presbyterian Church, where Lyla participated in youth activities, got married and had both her children baptized. Lyla would say she was an average student, but she loved music and made many friends during her school years. Lyla played violin in school and enjoyed singing. She and her best friend, Joyce Gittings Garver, sang in the Sextettes at Camas High, and both went to Lewis and Clark College in Portland where they sang in some of the college groups.

Lyla met her husband, Roger Nelson Husband, at Lewis and Clark. They graduated in 1950 and married in 1951 on Lyla’s birthday. Lyla was teaching in Portland, but agreed to move to North Powder, Oregon where Roger was a football coach and teacher at the high school. Lyla got a job teaching in Baker, Oregon. Lyla was not fond of eastern Oregon, so after one year, the couple moved back to the Portland area where they both got teaching jobs. In 1954, they welcomed their first child, Pamela Gay Husband, and then their second in 1956, Stuart Norman Husband. Lyla became a stay-at-home mom in a neighborhood populated with young families. Lyla quickly made friends with the other moms and the children all played at each other’s homes. She joined Westmoreland Presbyterian Church and met a group of women who formed The Modern Moods in 1958. Lyla joined the women’s ensemble group and performed at club meetings, community programs and on local television and radio shows. Roger left teaching in 1955 to secure better job with Richfield Oil. He received an opportunity to move to company headquarters in Los Angeles, and, in 1963, the family moved to North Hollywood, California.

Lyla decided it was time for her to return to her teaching career. She went to San Fernando Valley State College to get a California teacher’s certification. In 1966, she began teaching fourth grade at Oakdale Elementary School and continued until retiring in 1986. Lyla treasured her friendships with her fellow teachers and principals. She joined North Hollywood Presbyterian church where she sang in the choir and served in volunteer positions. After Lyla and Roger retired, they moved back to Oregon in 1989 to be closer to their mothers. They built a home in The Highlands, a new 55+ community in Tigard, got a dog, Silky, a Kerry Blue Terrier and rekindled college friendships.

Lyla and Roger always enjoyed traveling, taking annual road trips to visit family in the Pacific Northwest while their children were at home. In retirement, they continued taking road trips and started cruising, which Lyla loved. Roger’s health began a ten-year decline in 1994 after he had heart bypass surgery. Lyla was an amazing caregiver during this time and taught the family the true meaning of love and loyalty. Even with health issues, Roger and Lyla did some traveling during the final years of Roger’s life, including a dialysis cruise, two trips to Montana and a trip to Kansas City for a Hallmark convention. Roger and Lyla celebrated both their 40th and 50th wedding anniversaries. Roger passed away in 2003, and Lyla built a new, full life for herself.

After back surgery in 2006, Lyla decided it was time to move into a retirement community. She chose Town Center Village in Happy Valley, Oregon, close to Pam. She moved into her spacious, independent living apartment in 2008 and immediately started making friends, participating in activities and trips, joining the Village Choir and being a regular at the morning “coffee klatch”. Lyla loved her 13 years at Town Center Village where she celebrated her 90th birthday in 2018 with a big party. Lyla was thrilled when Stuart moved back to Oregon in 2016. She enjoyed spending time with her kids and having adventures with them!

Lyla continued to be an enthusiastic traveler, now with her children and son-in-law, Bill. She went to Hawaii several times, Scotland where she cruised on the Caledonian Canal, a cruise in the Galapagos Islands, to England crossing the Atlantic, with Pam, on the Queen Mary II and attending the Rotary International Convention in Birmingham, to Ireland meeting cousins in the Blackburn Family Association, a family cruise to Alaska, a cruise from Quebec City to Port Lauderdale and many other memorable trips. Lyla was usually game to go anywhere at any time, but after she turned ninety, she told her family her traveling days were over.

Lyla received a diagnosis of vascular dementia in 2020. After a short stop in Assisted Living, she moved to MorningStar of Happy Valley, now The Springs at Sunnyside, in June 2021. This was a wonderful move for Lyla and her family as the memory care staff immediately liked her and provided wonderful, attentive care. Lyla did not like being alone in her suite, but preferred to be out in the community, seeing what was going on and what everybody was doing. Lyla’s final decline was due to RSV, and she was not able to come back from the damage it did to her body. The family thanks Tenderly Hospice for their caring attention to Lyla.

Lyla had an amazing, wonderful, long life. Family and friends were most important to her. She loved gathering with relatives and friends, catching up on all the news. Her family will miss her, but we know she is where she is supposed to be now – reunited with Roger, her parents, brother, and others important in her life. Close survivors include daughter, Pam; son, Stuart; son-in-law, Bill McCracken; niece, Danae Michael; and nephews, Don Hutchison, Todd Husband and Brent Husband.

Lyla is buried in the Camas Cemetery next to Roger and her parents. Lyla supported many worthy causes during her life, but the Broadway Rose Theatre Company, PO Box 231004, Tigard OR 97281, was especially dear, and donations would honor her memory and love of music.

A Celebration of Life will be from 1:30-3:30 p.m., Saturday, April 25, 2026, at The Springs at Sunnyside, 14391 SE Princeton Village Way, Happy Valley OR 97015. Light refreshments will be served. Please bring any memories of Lyla you would like to share.

The Lyla Husband Family