Ila Lee Wilkinson Wandtke, 97, formerly of east Toledo, Ohio, passed away peacefully Tuesday, March 5, 2024 with her children by her side. For the past 27 years she made Mesa, AZ her winter home and Horton, Michigan her summer home. Ila was born in Toledo, Ohio on March 30, 1926 to Glen E. and Garnet G. (Hartsel) Wilkinson. Ila was a 1944 graduate of Waite High School. During high school, Ila met her sweetheart the love of her life, Richard A. Wandtke. Richard a star football player who was inducted in the Waite Athletic Hall of Fame, went on to play football at Ohio State University. After college, he was enlisted in the US Army. Richard and Ila were married on November 9, 1946 and enjoyed 56 years together until his passing in 2003. Ila was the longest and eldest member of Eastminster Presbyterian Church, Toledo, Ohio, where she was a member since she was 12 years old. She was also a member of the Cooley Canal Yacht Club Ladies Auxiliary and Delta Chi Sigma Sorority.

Ila had worked for the Erie Ordinance during the war. While raising her children, Ila had a small catering business as well as a decorative plate business. Her professional career was with Heck Printing Company, Toledo. While living in Arizona, she took oil painting classes and later became an instructor. Ila was a very active person, who was known as a great fisherwoman. She loved the sport and had fished all her life. At the age of 96 she was still deep sea fishing in California. Her other hobby was gardening. Summers were spent with family boating on Lake Erie or camping throughout the United States and Canada. Ila will be remembered for her smile, laughter and the ability to make friends with everyone she met.

Ila is survived by her children, Darla Harbaugh, Gary (Bonnie) Wandtke; grandchildren, Holly (Gary) Cross, Nikki (Kevin) Smith, Darla Wandtke (Mike Glenn); great grandchildren, Luke and Jake Smith; son-in-law, Don Harbaugh.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, March 14 from 2:00 pm until 8:00 pm at Eggleston Meinert & Pavley Funeral Home, Oregon Chapel, 440 S. Coy Road, Oregon and where her funeral service will be held on Friday at 11:00 am. Interment will follow at Historic Woodlawn Cemetery, Toledo, Ohio. Those wishing to make an expression of sympathy in Ila's memory are asked to consider Eastminster Presbyterian Church, 725 Navarre Avenue, Toledo, Ohio 43605.