Obituary of Lila Mae Koerner

Lila Mae Keffer Koerner  lived for 101 years.  For most of those years, she enjoyed remarkable health, managing her own affairs until the age of 98.   Lila  was a committed believer. She loved the Lord and the  Scriptures.  She was a faithful member of  Timberlake Baptist Church.  She loved reading,  chocolate, flowers, short trips, the color blue, Kentucky  Fried  Chicken, warm weather and she loved us- her family.  Within the family,  she was famous for the homemade fudge, she made every  Christmas.  She was a “city girl” at heart.  She liked  to have places to go and things to do.   She would choose mountains over the beach. She enjoyed riding in a car and giving the directions  for the way to go.   She especially loved to go back to  Roanoke and talk about her memories there.

Lila was born in Ripplemead, VA  on 31  December 1919  and grew up in  Roanoke, VA.  She was the third born child of  George Bernard Keffer and  Lucy Ann Meadows Keffer. She survived her parents and siblings.  Her brothers were Raymond Stafford Keffer (Eleanor),  Bernard Rudolph Keffer (Clara), and Mervin Ira Keffer( Helen), all of Roanoke, VA.  Her sister was Katie Bell Keffer Catron (Frank) of Hampton, VA.  Four nieces survive.  Two nephews and one niece have passed.

Lila was the wife of Thomas Allen Koerner until his death in 2003, only a few days short of their 60th wedding anniversary.  They lived in Roanoke, VA  and then in a variety of places short-term as they followed  Dad’s  work assignments. In 1958, they settled for a time in Woodbridge, VA where Lila enjoyed a  career as a teacher’s aide with Prince William County public schools. They retired in Bedford, VA  for nearly twenty years and then moved to Lynchburg, VA.

Lila Koerner stepped into glory on 31 December 2020, her 101st birthday.  One of her most important goals was to “pay her own way.”   Her assets were modest, but due to her careful planning, the funds she set aside for retirement covered her expenses to the end of her very long  lifetime.

Lila is survived by this legacy of children and grandchildren:  Carol Koerner White Jones and her husband Tom Jones of Pamplin, VA.   Thomas  Frederick Koerner and his wife  Marie of Woodbridge, VA.  Susan  Koerner Cook and  her husband  Michael of  Forest, VA.  Grandchildren:  James White ( wife:  Sharon),  Michael  White (wife:  Catherine),  Michael  Cook Jr ( wife:  Heather), Catherine Cook,  Lila Christine Cook Gonzalez,  Thomas Cook ( wife: Liz),  Rebecca Cook Mason                 (husband:  Dale).  She has twelve great grandchildren and three great great grandchildren.  She is also survived by a sister-in law,  Helen Koerner Foutz.

She was well loved by a host of friends and family.   She completes a life that was well lived.