Rita Rose Lilla

Rita R. Lilla was born on November 21, 1928 in Chicago, IL to Frank and Josephine Raio. Rita was the second Raio child, younger sister to her brother Peter who preceded in her death.

While she grew up in Chicago, some of her fondest memories were spending summers visiting Glen Park, IL at the family cottage. Glen Park was such an important part of Rita’s life that she made sure to take her kids to see where she grew up for one of the family vacations.

Rita attended Austin High School and graduated in 1947; after graduation she went to work as an accountant at her uncle’s candy factory, DiGiorgio Candy Company. Around this time, she met her future husband Eugene M. Lilla through mutual Nu Beta Nu friends. Eugene and Rita were eventually married on February 11, 1950.

She was a loving mother to daughters Lottie (James) Coggins, Josephine (Paul) Demers, and Frances Lilla and sons Eugene (Lori) Lilla and Mark Lilla. Being a mother in the 50’s you could find Rita supporting the family from home sewing outfits, cooking family meals, and hosting family holidays. As her children grew older she was also very active in many of her children’s activities including being a Girl Scout assistant leader and cookie captain, assistant school librarian, attending and helping at all school functions (dance, concert, choir), all while still being the ultimate home-maker.

While she loved Chicago, the Lilla family made the decision to move to sunny Long Beach, California after surviving the great Chicago blizzard of 1967. After moving, she kept up the family traditions she had started, continuing to be the gathering place for family holidays where she was famous for her baked bread, spaghetti sauce, Sloppy Joe’s, and “Those” potatoes.

In Long Beach her family continued to grow with Rita becoming a devoted and caring grandmother to Nichole, Derek, Kimberlee, Kristen, and Jamey; great-grandmother to Thomas, Ashlynne, Maddison, Richard, Kyler, and Tyler, and great great-grandmother to Brooklynn.

As a 12 year breast cancer survivor she pursued the little things she loved in life: playing cards with friends, bowling, and playing Bingo every Friday night, even though she would always joke “I donated this time” when she didn’t win. She also enjoyed going on longer trips with family and friends visiting Las Vegas and taking cruises to Mexico, the Caribbean, and Alaska.

Our beloved mother and grandmother, Rita, is now reunited with her husband, Eugene, who preceded her in death by 35 years, and her son, Eugene, by 3 months.

Luyben Dilday Mortuary (562) 425-6401