Ila Marie Malakhoff

Ila Marie Malakhoff passed away on Sunday, January 22, 2023, beloved by friends and family.

Born to Lawrence Gappa Wanderer and Ila Marie Franks on April 12th, 1935 in Hamilton, Montana, Ila was raised in the Bitterroot Valley and enjoyed time spent riding horses on the family ranch. She spent her youth in Hamilton, a small town of red brick buildings, many of which were made from bricks from her father’s clay yard across the Bitterroot River. Hamilton was an idyllic place to grow up – Ila spoke fondly of walking from her home to the creamery for ice cream and then to the movie theatre to watch a western for the cost of a 14¢ ticket. Growing up with a family dog and horses gave her a lifelong affinity for both – even in her final days she was happy to pet a visiting dog.

Ila graduated from Hamilton High School in 1953 and attended Stephens College in Columbia Missouri for two years, where she was a member of the honorary mathematics club Hypatia Hexagon and performed with the Burrall Symphony Orchestra as a flautist. Ila graduated with a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Missouri in 1957, where she learned to fly small planes as a member of the Aero-Tigers Flying Club.

Ila met her future husband while in college and married Alexander Malakhoff at home in Hamilton on August 10th, 1957. Ila and Alex had two sons. The first, Lawrence Alexander Malakhoff, was born in Jefferson City, Missouri and their second son, Lev Alexander Malakhoff, was born in Oakland, California. The family relocated to Arlington, Virginia in 1966.

Ila was an active member of the Judge Lynn Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution for many years, helping to validate the genealogical research of prospective new members. She was also a member of the Leona Chapter No. 31, Order of the Eastern Star in Hamilton, Montana.

Ila will be remembered fondly for her passion for theatre and the arts, her color-coordinated purple outfits, her health-conscious cooking, her meticulous note-keeping, her smiles and quiet hums of agreement, but most of all – she will be remembered for her deep kindness towards all who knew her.

Ila is survived by her husband Alexander Malakhoff of Falls Church; son Lawrence of Greenbelt, Maryland; son Lev and his wife Nancy of Centerville, Massachusetts; and two granddaughters: Katrina of Santa Barbara, California, and Lexi of Queens, New York.

A service to celebrate Ila’s life will be held at Goodwin House in Falls Church, Virginia on 25 February at 2 p.m.