Some people join the Navy to see the world. Lilli Ito joined Delta Airlines.
For most of her 26 years as a Delta flight attendant, she worked the long-distance flights to Europe and Asia, the last dozen or so years with Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport as her home base.
“Lilli never had anything negative to say in my presence about the rigors of flights overseas,” said her brother, Clyde Ito. “In the work I do, I have to fly abroad a lot myself and I probably complain more than she ever did. She enjoyed the stimulation and challenges of travel.”
Lillian Katsumi Ito, 58, died Dec. 15 at her Henry County home of cancer. Her family is planning a memorial service in mid-January. SouthCare Cremation and Funeral Society is in charge of arrangements.
Ms. Ito was born and raised in Japan, but she grew up in a bilingual environment. Her brother said their late father was an American serviceman, later a U.S. government employee, and their mother was Japanese. All of Ms. Ito’s schooling in Japan was at English-speaking schools. While she was fluent in Japanese, English was her first language, her brother said.
Later, as she made numerous trips to Italy during her career with Delta, she fell in love with its countryside, its people, its history and its food. She taught herself Italian well enough to qualify as a language specialist at Delta.
“Lilli was very thoughtful,” her brother said. “Once after staying overnight at her place, I remarked to her about the fine pillowcases on the guest bed and told her later I was unable to find their match after shopping around. Ten days before she died, she sent me some cotton pillowcases just like the ones I had admired. She was the sort of person who didn’t want to leave any loose ends.”
Beth Knight of Stockbridge said she met Ms. Ito playing tennis.
“Lilli was a graceful athlete and could be very focused about winning,” she said. “Once a game was over, though, she was ready to relax, chat and have a good time.”
She called Ms. Ito “a lady of many talents.”
One of these was gardening. Ms. Ito qualified as a master gardener in Georgia. She especially liked tropical plants, which she would arrange in pots around the front entrance to her home. Knight said Ms. Ito had to ask a flight attendant friend to lug a bunch of potted plants into her garage when an overnight freeze was forecast.
”I also remember taking a trip with her to Florida where she spotted a night-blooming jasmine and we hauled that prize back to Georgia,” Knight said.
Ms. Ito prepared meals from diverse cuisines. While Italian food was a favorite, so were Japanese, Indian and Thai dishes. She often returned from her travels with exotic spices and sauces.
Ms. Ito took part in community activities, chairing an amenities committee of her subdivision. Recently she was in charge of replacing the furniture around its community center swimming pool and transforming a basketball court into a children’s playground.
Also surviving are her mother, Toyoko Ito, and a sister, Lucy Ito.
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