Lucille Mary Zaller, 87

Lucille Mary Zaller, who raised five children and lived in Pacific Palisades for 50 years, died peacefully at her home on June 19 after a long struggle with Parkinson’s disease. She was 87. Lucy was born in David City, Nebraska, and came to California in 1941. She worked for the navy during World War II and afterward in real estate and modeling. She married Raymond C. Zaller in 1948 and remained his wife until her death 58 years later. Lucy was admired by all who knew her as a kind, thoughtful, beautiful, and deeply religious person. She was a member of Corpus Christi Parish, where she participated in many activities. She was an expert seamstress and spent countless hours at her sewing machine making clothes for her family. She was an avid tennis player at Palisades Recreation Center and Palm Desert Tennis Club, and also enjoyed playing bridge with friends in the Palisades. She was a fine music talent, playing the piano and singing melody and harmony in a beautiful soprano voice. She continued these activities even after being struck by Parkinson’s. She was able to sing harmony long after losing the ability to speak clearly. Lucy was born to Henrietta and Ernest Litty on March 29, 1919. She was the honorary school piano accompanist at Brainerd High School. She was an excellent student and went on to study at Duchesne College in Omaha, Nebraska. After marriage, she lived with Ray in Culver City, Brentwood, and Santa Monica before moving to the Palisades in 1956. She is survived by her loving husband and her children, John Zaller (wife Barbara) of Pacific Palisades, Greg Zaller (Laurie) of Nevada City, Paula Miller (Jim) of Seattle, Mark Zaller (Sharon) of Los Osos, and Mary Munds (Ron) of Grenoble. She also has 10 grandchildren: Faren, Julia, Eva, Lucy, Zachary, Demetria, Noah, Jimmy, Jacob, and Luke. She is also survived by her brother Ernest Litty and sister Rose Collins. Lucy’s family wishes to extend its sincere appreciation to Digna Rios Shaver, Tomasa Mauro, and Ana Tovar, her dedicated caregivers, and the Vitas Hospice Team for their skilled and compassionate care. There will be a gathering of friends and family at Corpus Christi Church at 6 p.m. on Friday, June 23, and the rosary service will begin at 7 p.m. The funeral Mass will be at Holy Redeemer Chapel at Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City at noon on Saturday, June 24.