Elizabeth O’Connell
March 5, 1919 - July 2, 2008
Saturday, July 12, 2008 10:12 PM PDT
Ontario
Elizabeth O’Connell passed away peacefully at Presbyterian Community Care Center on Wednesday, July 2, 2008, of natural causes. Elizabeth, an only child, was born March 5, 1919, in Syracuse, N.Y. Her mother died shortly thereafter, and Elizabeth was raised by her aunt. At the end of World War II, she attended Syracuse University as a Tri-Delt sister, and she met and married Edwin Duke Pitts. The couple had two children, Gregory Edwin Pitts, who lives near Little Rock, Ark., and Jeffrey Church Pitts, MD, of Ontario, Ore.
Elizabeth married Dominick Duca in Syracuse in 1968 but was preceded in death by Dominick in 1974.
Elizabeth moved to Sarasota, Fla., to be with friends in 1978 and met and married Daniel P. O’Connell in 1980. Daniel preceded Elizabeth in death in 1998. Elizabeth then moved to Ontario, Ore., to be closer to family and enjoyed her stay with Meadowbrook Assisted Living. As her health declined, she stayed at Presbyterian Community Care Center, where she received excellent care and attention. In spite of having no eyesight for the last two years of her life, she found ways to befriend and inspire those around her.
Elizabeth enjoyed traveling and looked forward to her annual visits to Hawaii and to her frequent visits to family. In Ontario, she developed close friendships with Daphne Thornfeldt, Robbie Henry, Karen Alston and Gladys Benjamin, which she cherished greatly.
Elizabeth is survived by her sons, Gregory Pitts and Jeffrey Pitts; by her grandchildren, Amy Pitts, Michael Pitts and Thomas Pitts, of Ontario; and by her step-grandchildren Jeremy Simons, of Little Rock, Ark., and Joshua Simons, of Oceanside, Calif. She was preceded in death by her first husband, Edwin Pitts, in 2006.
Elizabeth and her family wish to give special thanks to Dr. Andrew Peterson for his medical expertise, without which we would have lost Elizabeth long ago. We also wish to give special thanks to the excellent staff of Presbyterian Community Care Center, who assisted Elizabeth with her special needs and kept her comfortable, in spite of tremendous hardship, right to the end.
Elizabeth’s family requests memorials be made to Research to Prevent Blindness, Inc., 645 Madison Ave., Floor 21, New York, NY 10022.
Local arrangements are under the direction of Lienkaemper Chapel, Ontario.
Condolences may be sent to the family at www.lienkaemper-thomason.com.
