Individual Details

Leila Claire Sturgis

(18 Jan 1916 - 21 Oct 2004)

Lewiston Morning Tribune, Lewiston,Idaho, October 27, 2004, Page: 5D, Deceased Name: Leila Sturgis Old, 88, Albion. Leila Sturgis Old, a resident of Albion, passed away peacefully on Friday, Oct. 21, 2004. Leila was born in Fillmore, Calif., Jan. 18, 1916. She was the only child of Sue and Walter Sturgis. Her mother owned a children's wear and needlecraft shop, and her father owned a citrus grove and was in the banking business. The family left Fillmore when Leila was in the fourth grade and soon thereafter moved to Los Angeles. She attended Los Angeles High School and graduated from UCLA in 1937 with a degree in art education. She began a fine arts master's program at USC, and completed this degree while teaching girls' physical education, Spanish, related arts and social studies at Hilmar High School, where she taught for two years. She also taught in Salinas, Calif., Juneau, Alaska, and Waialua, Hawaii. Other formal education included a bachelor's degree in home economics from Oregon State. While teaching home economics at WSU, she met Aaron Waverly (Pat) Old at a square dance class. They were married Nov. 22, 1950, in Pullman at the Methodist church. They lived on the Old family farm near Albion, where Pat raised cattle and crops. Leila taught clothing construction, dress pattern making and weaving at Washington State University from the fall of 1948. After completing an Ed.D. from WSU in higher education in 1964, she accepted an appointment at the University of Idaho in 1967, in home economics, now called the School of Family and Consumer Sciences. While teaching pattern making, clothing design and historic costume, she also studied museology to assist with the clothing collection she was developing. Upon her retirement as a full professor in 1981, the collection was named the Leila Old Historic Costume Collection in her honor. Dr. Old continued as a volunteer, with other retirees, to keep the collection visible to the public through displays, managing its accessioning, and garment conversion, until 2003. It currently houses over 9,000 items donated from residents and alumni from Moscow. Mrs. Old is survived by her husband, Pat Old of Albion; her daughter, Patty Old Kasper of Monte Sereno, Calif.; her son, Richard Old of Pullman; and her daughter, Kathleen Old of Moscow. She also is survived by four grandchildren, Anne Kasper, Susan Kasper, Hannah Old, and Patrick Old. A memorial service will be held at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, in the Administration Auditorium on the UI campus. Parking is available on Campus Drive or Nez Perce Drive. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a donation to the Leila Old Historic Costume Collection (LOHCC). Checks may be made to the University of Idaho Foundation, with a memo noting LOHCC. Donations may be mailed to: School of Family and Consumer Sciences, Attn. Nancy Wanamaker, Room 105, Niccolls Building, P.O. Box 443183, Moscow, ID 83844-3183.

Events

Birth18 Jan 1916Fillmore, Ventura Co., California
Birth18 Jan 1918
Marriage22 Nov 1950Pullman, Whitman Co., Washington - Aaron Waverly "Pat" Old
Death21 Oct 2004Albion, Whitman Co., Washington
Alt nameLeila S. Old
BurialI. O. O. F. Cemetery, Pullman, Whitman Co., Washington
Soc Sec No562-14-5518
SSN issuedCalifornia

Families

SpouseAaron Waverly "Pat" Old (1912 - 2013)
ChildPatricia Jean Old (1951 - )
ChildRichard Robert Old (1953 - )
ChildKathleen Erin Old (1955 - )
FatherGeorge Walter Sturgis (1883 - 1953)
MotherSusan Evelyn "Sue" Krebs (1891 - 1976)

Endnotes