Ila Jeanne (Whiting) Pastian, 88, passed away peacefully on Thursday, Nov. 17, 2016, at the Banner Baywood Medical Center in Mesa. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 26, at the Methodist Church in Gregory, S.D. Burial will follow at the IOOF Cemetery. There is a prayer service at 7 o’clock tonight at the Kotrba-Smith Funeral Home in Gregory.
Ila, the first child of Eugene and Agnes (Musilek) Whiting, was born May 1, 1928, at her parent’s farm (Blachnik Place) south of Dallas, S.D. She grew up on the farm with her siblings, Raymond (Fritz), Patricia, Allen and Sharon.
Her passion for education was encouraged early on by her mother, who was a skilled teacher. She excelled academically at Pleasant Valley Elementary and Gregory High School. She graduated from Gregory High in 1945 at age 17, attended Black Hills State College for the summer and began teaching at the Barker Rural School. While helping a fellow teacher with a Christmas program at Climbing Hills Elementary in 1946, she met Ray Pastian when he purchased her box social meal.
Ray and Ila were married on June 7, 1947. They made their home in Dallas. Five children were born to this union, Sally, Dale, David, Marla and Marcia. Ila was a conscientious wife and mother.
While raising her family, she continued teaching at rural schools in Gregory and Tripp County, as well as at the Dallas and Gregory elementary schools. She simultaneously furthered her education by attending night, weekend and summer classes. Ila accomplished her goal of earning a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Education from Southern State Teachers College in Springfield, S.D., in May 1974.
In 1974, Ila moved to Arizona to join her husband, Ray, who was employed there. She taught in Tuba City on the Navajo Indian Reservation and at Hulet Elementary School in Holbrook until her retirement. She continued to substitute and volunteer at Hulet School in Holbrook. Her teaching career/involvement with education spanned more than 50 years.
With boundless energy, Ila donated much of her time in South Dakota and Arizona to her church and community. She was an active member of the Gregory and Holbrook United Methodist Churches, the American Legion Auxiliary, the VFW, the Rebecca’s, Delta Kappa Gamma, the Order of the Eastern Star and the Holbrook Lions Club. She was also a CASA worker, who advocated for the best interest of abused and neglected children in court.
In 2007, Ila moved to Mesa with her daughter, Marla, and son-in-law, Jim. Although she enjoyed Arizona, Ila always considered South Dakota as home and spent as much time as she could in Dallas. She kept up to date with Gregory area happenings by reading the Gregory Times Advocate from cover to cover each week.
Ila enjoyed gardening, cooking, baking, reading, cake decorating, traveling, collecting hat pins and other antiques, the slots, bingo, and a good game of pinochle or 10-point pitch. She won a car playing bingo in 1988 for completing the blackout in 54 numbers. She made king size quilts for each of her children between her 80th and 85th birthdays. Another passion was cheering on her favorite sports teams, the Arizona Diamondbacks and Arizona Cardinals, as well as each of her grand/great-grandchildren.
She will be remembered for her kindness, independence, witty personality, hilarious take on life, her love and dedication to friends and family, her strength of character, her determination, her generosity and the tremendous pride she had in her family.
Survivors include her children, Sally (Ron) Lampe of Cortez, Colo., Dale (Madeline) Pastian of Gregory, Dave (Patricia) Pastian of Milliken, Colo., Marla (Jim) Cassidy of Mesa and Marcia (Dave) Wranek of Mitchell, S.D; and by nine grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren. Also surviving is her sister, Sharon Lundin of Carrizozo, N.M.; and many nieces, nephews and other relatives.
She was predeceased by Ray, her husband of 55 years; her parents, Agnes and Eugene Whiting; her brothers, Raymond and Allen Whiting; her sister, Patricia Ensley; and her grandsons, Mark Teigh and Drew Pastian.
Whenever we smell Elizabeth Taylor’s White Diamond perfume or see Black Hill’s Gold Jewelry, we will think of her!
She will always be missed and forever treasured.
