Lila Leathers-Fitz (nee Skipper), age 85, passed away on Tuesday, November 1st at Providence Hospital, surrounded by dear family. She is at peace, after an extended battle with pancreatic cancer.
Lila was born on October 22, 1937 in Raymondville, Texas, to her mother, Willie (Long) Skipper, and father, Clay Skipper. The family moved to Oregon in 1943, and settled in the Sandy area.
Lila was a long-standing business owner in the East County area. She owned and operated a chain of gasoline stations in Oregon, known as “Leathers Fuels”. Lila was proud to work with her two children most of her life, and is renowned for being the first to work each day. She was always beautiful, both inside and out, and will be long remembered for her elegant appearance and manner. Lila was a friend to all, a counselor to most, and “Mom” to many.
Beyond owning and developing her own business, Lila was active in the local community, and in the business community as well. Among her many accomplishments, Lila was the first woman president of the Oregon Petroleum Fuel Marketers’ Association in 1990, President of the National Association of Texaco Wholesalers in 1998, an Oregon Oil Heat Commissioner, and President of the Gresham Area Chamber of Commerce (1986-87). She proudly sponsored a club volleyball team in the Estacada area, the “Locos”, for over 40 years.
Lila had many hobbies, including the collection of antique ceramics. She held a private pilot’s license most of her life, was an accomplished markswoman, and enjoyed travel. Lila was known for her good taste in all things, and her meticulous approach to her home and work. Lila taught many of us the basics of the “Skipper work ethic”, and set a standard that is hard to match.
Lila extended dignity and acceptance to everyone she met. You couldn’t know Lila, and not want to be a better person. Lila would want all of her extended family, anyone who ever worked for “Leathers”, and all her friends, to know how much she loved them.
Lila is survived by her husband, Michael Fitz, her children Kathryn and Brent, her three brothers, Bob, Jack, and Art, and all of their spouses, and many other precious relatives.
The family asks that you email Kathy@LeathersFuels.net for details regarding the memorial service set for Saturday, November 19th, at 2:00 p.m., as the facility has limited occupancy. The family also asks that you not send flowers, but instead consider a contribution to the “Lila Skipper Foundation” at Clackamas County Bank, an organization which will fund scholarship opportunities for students at Sandy High School.