Jarmila Mottl, 61-Year Resident

Jarmila Eva Mottl, a longtime resident of Pacific Palisades, died on September 29 at the age of 90.   She was born in Cleveland, Ohio, on December 16, 1921, to Francis and Jon Tuma. She had two sisters, Lillian and Vera, and a brother James Larry.   Jarmila was a shy, sensitive child. ‘She loved to read, enjoyed poetry, beautiful music and art, and loved to dance.’In Czech, the name Jarmila means ‘lover of spring.” She also loved animals and always had one or two cats.   After attending Charles Dickens Elementary School, Alexander Hamilton Junior High and John Adams High School, Jarmila went to work for a real estate office. She was now being called Millie because the realtor she worked for’said it was easier to call her ‘Mil’ ‘ if she didn’t mind. So from then on she became Millie.’Next she worked for Farr Refrigeration Co. as a stenographer, secretary and telephone operator.’   During World War II, Millie responded to an’ad in the’Cleveland Press by the Army Air Corps, looking for women to train as inspectors for the procurement district. Millie applied and was accepted.’ She was sent for several months of training to Western Reserve University and the Case School of Applied Science. Doing her part for the war effort, Millie was stationed at the Jack & Heintz plant as an inspector, then at Burdett Oxygen Co. and finally at the Aircraft Fitting Co.   Millie and her sisters attended a gymnastic organization called Sokols (which means falcons in English).’ They did calisthenics and used the apparatus’rings, high bars, etc. She met Charles Mottl at the dances held at the gym hall and they began to date in July 1945, when he returned home from service in the Army Air Force.   Millie and Chuck married in November 1945. A year later they moved to California, where Millie’s parents and sisters were already living in Santa Monica.’ A son, John Charles, was born, followed 14 months later by a daughter, Elizabeth Vera.   The Mottl family moved in 1951 to Pacific Palisades, where Millie was a housewife, mother and caretaker. She was an active member of the Palisades Lutheran Church and volunteered at Santa Monica Hospital.’ She also worked part-time at the Palisades Post and at Henshey’s department store in Santa Monica.   A memorial service will be held on Saturday, October20, at 11 a.m. at Palisades Lutheran Church, corner of Sunset and El Medio.