Nyla Marie Stoughton

Nyla Marie Stoughton of Spokane passed away May 5 of numerous cancer complications including two brain surgeries. Her final days were at Hospice of Spokane. She was born at March Air Force base in Riverside County, California and lived in Southern California until 1984, when she and her husband Neil moved to Spokane. She was previously married to Joe Aspinall with whom she had two children, Jacquelin and Michael. Jacquelin passed away in 1993 at 35 years of age from melanoma cancer leaving a young son James. Nyla’s son Michael currently lives and works here in Spokane, as does her grandson James. Nyla met her present husband Neil at a party in Torrance, California in 1972 and they went together almost four years before they married in 1976. Nyla worked many years as an accountant at the Schell & Delemar Law Firm in Los Angeles and was promoted to comptroller several years prior to her retirement. Her husband Neil retired from Rockwell Int. in 1984 as did Nyla from her job at the law firm. Soon after retirement, they moved to Spokane where Neil’s parents, brother and sister lived, she immediately became a Spokanite, loving the area and friendly people. A short time after moving to Spokane she saw a need and with her law background she volunteered to work as a Casa advocate. She represented abused and neglected children in court and won several awards for her dedicated work. After working several years with the Casa Program she was talked in to taking care of newborns, born to drug addicted mothers and this was a start of a new career for both her and her husband. Over the next month then years, they cared for numerous babies until the drugs were out of their systems. Her goal was to place babies with couples that would care for them, and love them as their own and in this endeavor, she was very successful. Nyla loved camping and traveling in their R.V. They traveled a good portion of the U.S. and by ships and planes. They traveled to many foreign countries and saw a lot of the world. Some years ago, she started doing toll painting then went to counted cross-stitch and did a wonderful job on many projects but she found her true calling in quilting. Once she started making quilts there was no stopping her. She has made dozens of quilts from wall hangings to king size bed quilts. She has numerous blue, red, and white ribbons that she won from various exhibits. She and Neil have spent the last 21 winters at their place in Yuma, Arizona. She was a member of the Desert Lily Quilters and has many quilting friends there. She lived life to the fullest until the times came when she couldn’t. Her husband Neil Stoughton, son Michael Aspinall, grandson James Aspinall and his fiancé Lisa Nieves, Neil’s son Gary Stoughton and numerous nieces and nephews survive her. She will be deeply missed by her many true friends and never forgotten by those she leaves behind.

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