Nila was born and raised in the western United States where she remained until joining the U. S. Army in 1968. During the Vietnam War, she felt a sense of duty and obligation to serve. Nila loved the Women's Army Corps (WAC) and enjoyed its structure and camaraderie until it was integrated into the larger army structure. Because of her dedication and professionalism as a military court reporter, she was appointed in 1976 as the first female warrant officer in the Judge Advocate General (JAG) corps.

Later starting a family, Nila left active duty but remained in the Army Reserve. As a homemaker, she was a dedicated, giving mother and wife, always putting others before herself. She enriched the lives of everyone she met, with a smile that brightened the darkest room. Tragically, she was afflicted all too soon by early-onset Alzheimer's Disease. She battled the illness, however, with good cheer and determination until the end.

She is survived by her husband, James, her daughters Jill and Janna, her sons-in-law Adam and Greg, as well as three spirited grandsons. Due to the Covid-19 crisis, a future memorial service is planned.

Ultimately, Nila will have a perfect mind and body which are not subject to decay. "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed to us... because the creature itself also shall be delivered from bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God." - Romans 8: 18 and 21.