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Noel Lillie
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Noel V. Lillie was born on January 17, 1910, in Chilliwack, B.C., Canada. He was educated in Portland, Oregon and served in the U.S. Army as a Technical Sergeant in the Aleutian Campaign of World War II. he also served as a general's personal aide in the Kwajalein Island landing and operation of 1944-45, for which he received a letter of high commendation. After discharge from military service, he was employed by the Department of the Army, Alaska District, Corps of Engineers,from which he retired in 1970.
In the spring of 1963, two teachers from Scotland, Ian Munro and Mairi MacRae, began a Scottish Country Dance class at Montlake Fieldhouse in Seattle, Washington. The group grew and in 1965 formed The Seattle and District Scottish Country Dance Club. Steve and Iris Woodruff obtained teaching certificates, and Noel Lillie joined the group about 1969.
He retired to Seattle, Washington and continued dancing in several groups there, eventually giving most attention to Scottish Country Dancing, perhaps resulting from his Scottish ancestry.
He was well-known and well-liked by dancers throughout the Pacific Northwest. He had his preliminary teaching certification in Scottish Country Dance from the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society (RSCDS). Having started folk dancing in Portland, Oregon, he continued dancing, then teaching in Alaska with the Anchorage Folklanders.
In 1983, he received the Teacher Emeritus Award from the Seattle Branch of the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society of Edinburgh. The Seattle branch showed their appreciation of his efforts by composing a dance in his name, calling it "The Noel Lillie Strasthspey."
In 1988, Noel received a RSCDS Scroll in recognition of his services to the Society over the years.
Noel passed away on March 17, 1995, in Mt. Vernon, Washington.
Dances Noel taught include Argyll's Fancy, Kendall's Hornpipe, Machine Without Horses, and Roaring Jelly.