Hyla Anne Hitchcock, 90

Hyla Anne Hitchcock, 90, a Presbyterian, passed away April 12, 2025, in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, surrounded by music, friends, and family.

She was born June 16, 1934, to Robert Carl and Myrtle Gladys Schmeling in Republic, Wash.

Hyla attended Bremerton Business College and began her work in civil service at Bremerton Naval Shipyard, all as a single parent of three children. In 1961, she married Paul Raymond Hitchcock. They were transferred to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, where Hyla worked in the civil service and the Red Cross, assisting the families of deceased soldiers in returning to the mainland. She was very empathetic to their needs, as her husband was a Marine serving in Vietnam. Hyla worked as a clerk in Lewiston City Hall and the Goodwill Boutique before beginning an Avon Beauty Consultant career. She was a member of the President’s Club, earning many awards and creating lifelong friendships. After 33 passionate years with Avon, she retired at the age of 80.

Hyla enjoyed gardening and leading Campfire Girls. She held positions in the Lewiston DAVA Chapter and eventually became its last Commander.

Along with her parents, Hyla was preceded in death by her ex-husbands, Elden Lawrence Lounsberry Sr. and Paul Raymond Hitchcock; Hyla’s siblings, Leah Katheryn Mahrt, Dorothea Louise Berg, Janice Elaine Brinkley-Calene, William August and George Albert Schmeling; and granddaughter Wanda Rose Tingelstad.

Hyla is survived by her children, Elden Lawrence, Elizabeth Marie, David LeRoy Lounsberry, Paula Anne Parkhurst and Judith Lynn Hitchcock; 11 grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.

Funeral services will be held at English Funeral Chapel, 1700 N. Spokane St., Post Falls, ID 83854 on Friday, April 25, at 1 p.m., public viewing noon to 1. Graveside services at the Republic Cemetery in Republic, Wash., on Sunday, April 27, 2025, at 1 p.m.

Visit Hyla's memorial and sign her online guestbook at www.englishfuneralchapel.com.