Willa Cleary

Willa Joan (Houtwed) Cleary, of Lincoln, Nebraska, formerly of Arlington and Alexandria, Virginia died in Lincoln on Oct. 22, 2024, at the age of 86.

A graveside service was held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024, at the Spring Creek Cemetery near Ruskin. Willa's wishes were to be cremated and buried alongside her husband, Bill. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Parkinson's Foundation.

Willa was born the youngest of three children to Jens and Mabel (Brandt) Houtwed in Ruskin, on Sept. 12, 1938. She graduated from Ruskin High School and Dana College in Blair, Nebraska.

Following graduation Willa taught English for a year on Midway Island and then for a few years in Grand Island, Nebraska. After joining the Red Cross, Willa lived in Japan for 13 years working in military hospitals. Upon returning to the States, Willa worked many years in the Washington, D.C. area doing editorial work for The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists retiring in 2000. 

Willa especially enjoyed living in Japan where she got to know many college students. She enjoyed learning about the Japanese culture and other cultures because it broadened her understanding of the world.

While living in the D.C. area, Willa met William (Bill) Cleary, the love of her life, while waiting for her piano lesson to begin. They were married in January 1993.

Bill was a lifelong musician, filling their home with music many days during their 30 years of marriage. They resided happily in their cozy bungalow in Arlington, Virginia, for 25 years along with several well-cared-for feline friends. In 2018, they moved to Goodwin House in Alexandria, residing there until Bill's death in November of 2023. Willa relocated to Lincoln, the following month.

A skilled artist, Willa filled the walls of their home with beautiful sketches and watercolors of nature, people and animals.

  Like her father, Willa lived life quietly, sharing her values through her lifestyle. Willa was an avid lover of nature, particularly the desert. She enjoyed many hours gardening alongside Bill to create a peaceful backyard retreat, much to the pleasure of the constant flow of dear neighborhood friends and visiting family who savored the hours spent with Bill and Willa in their tranquil home and yard, often being entertained by Bill's music, storytelling and Willa's delicious cooking. They were certainly gifted with hospitality.

Willa and Bill had the opportunity to take several great vacations in Mexico and the American Southwest. Their home was filled with lovely artwork collected while traveling.

Among many life lessons, one she learned and shared includes her observation that "we pass up so many of the important things to the less important." Being lovers of learning, Willa and Bill took advantage of community classes and The Great Courses series.

A kind and generous soul, Willa will be missed by all who knew her.

Willa was preceded in death by her husband, Bill, her parents, and brother, Dewane.

She is survived by her step-children, Thomas (Nattaya) Cleary and Robert (Sheila) Cleary; step-grandchildren, Aoife and Niamh Cleary; and seven nieces and nephews, Steve (Zoya) Houtwed, Bob (Kim) Houtwed, David (Cindy) Houtwed, Kevin (Karen) Houtwed, Gary (Anita) Hansen, Sandra Wentworth, and Debra (Steve) Mead. She is also survived by her sister, Arlene Hansen, many grand-nieces and nephews, friends and former neighbors, including a life-long friend, Lucianne Phillips, whom she met while working for the Red Cross.