Nila Faye Elkins

Nila, affectionately known by many names — Ni, Wilson, and Yiyi — passed away peacefully on October 17, 2025, at 3:30 p.m. at the age of 76. A lifelong resident of the Terre Haute area, she was born and raised in West Terre Haute, Indiana, before making her home in Terre Haute.

An extraordinary person in every sense, those who knew Nila often said she was simply “the best.” Her strength, warmth, and kindness touched everyone she met. UBS

A true “doer,” Nila began working at the young age of 15 and devoted 29 years to AET Films. She never chose to retire, not because she had to work, but because she loved to. Her resilience defined her, and she approached each day with purpose, grace, and compassion.

Nila loved all sports. She was . but golf held a special place in her heart. One of her proudest moments came when she made a hole-in-one at Marks Par Three Golf Course — a memory immortalized on the course’s wall just before she became ill.

Although Nila never married or had biological children, in 1996, she began the lifelong journey of raising her “chosen” daughter, alongside her best friend and sister at heart, Janis Laplante. For nearly three decades, until her final day, Nila embodied the very best of parenthood — loving unconditionally, teaching through her actions, and providing selflessly. Her love asked for nothing but gave everything.

She was a provider, a quiet force of strength, and a lighthouse in the dark. She will be deeply missed but forever remembered by all who were blessed to know her.

Nila is survived by her sisters Christina Bridges (Ray), Sue Dickens (David) and Cindy Elkins, and brother Jimmy Dean Elkins as well as her “chosen family” — her lifelong best friend and sister, Janis Laplante (Gary/Nighthawk), and Janis’s daughter, Hannah King, whom Nila helped raise and loved like her own, plus Grandson Justin King Jr. and “special” Mom Barbara Champion plus many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, Betty Elkins and Albert Elkins and four brothers and a sister.

Visitation will be held at Fitzpatrick Funeral Home, 220 North 3rd Street, West Terre Haute, IN 47885, on Thursday, October 23, 2025, beginning at 11:00 a.m., followed by funeral services at 1:00 p.m.

Nila’s light will continue to shine through the lives of those she loved, reminding everyone that true strength is quiet, love is boundless, and selflessness is the greatest legacy of all.