Nina Lee Gregory

Nina peacefully passed away January 26, 2024. She remained graceful, loving, and happy to the end.

Near Steptoe Butte in Whitman County, Nina was born the second of seven siblings to Samuel E. Littleton and Beulah Hall Littleton on June 5, 1924. Shortly after, the Littleton family moved to Oakesdale to farm. Oakesdale remained Nina's home until 2016 when she and her husband, Delbert moved to assisted living in Spokane where they celebrated their 76th anniversary in 2021.

As Nina grew up in Oakesdale she took interest in family, friends, farm work, saxophone, basketball, and eventually...Delbert Gregory. Delbert and Nina betrothed before he enlisted in the Army Air Corps and, when he returned from overseas, they married April 1, 1945 – yes, April Fools had remained a source of humor for years to follow.

While Delbert served our nation overseas in World War II, Nina contributed to the war effort by building and repairing B-17 and Hornet R-1690 airplane engines at the Spokane Army Air Depot – a regular "Rosie the Riveter." After raising their three children to school age, Nina began working for the Oakesdale School District as a bus driver and assistant custodian. She happily continued in that capacity for 26 years. Nina was fond of school sports and especially enjoyed driving the kids to their games. It was also a family love to keep the school functional, clean, and beautiful. Each year Nina and Delbert would use their cherished garden to bring colorful accents to neatly manicured schoolgrounds.

Nina was preceded in death by her beloved husband Delbert, as well as her sisters Grace Rohrbach and Ruth Johann, and their parents. She is survived by her siblings Sammie Day, Pullman; Elnora Carr, Lynwood; Jim Littleton (Jeannie) Spokane Valley; Ed Littleton (Eunice) Puyallup; her children Chris Gregory (Kathy) Cheney; Christy Gregory (Diane) Birch Bay; Deon Logan (Gary) Birch Bay; grandson Trevor Gregory (Angie) Springdale; step grandchildren Joel Logan (Rachael) Maple Ridge, BC and Nicole Dibiasi (Jonathan) Corona, CA; 9 great-grandchildren, four great-great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews. The family suggests memorial gifts to Hospice of Spokane, 121 S Arthur, PO Box 2215, Spokane, WA 99210, and Oakesdale Presbyterian Church, 402 W Steptoe, PO Box 54, Oakesdale WA 99158. Nina's memorial service will be announced in the Spring.

For this, our light and transitory burden of suffering is achieving for us a weight of glory – Corinthians 4:17