by Zada Albee
Assunta Zoia was a friend in grade school and high school, during the depression era job search and other youthful adventures. Assunta Lilley continued to be a loyal friend and co-worker throughout her life which ended on August 27, 2001.
Readers of “The Braille Forum” should remember Assunta as one of the pioneers. She was among the first to serve in what are now many of the well-established organizations concerned with the welfare and independence of people who are blind. She was active for many years in ACB, was a charter member of the Missouri Federation of the Blind (now the Missouri Council of the Blind), a charter member of RITE (Real Independence Through Employment), a Missouri Council affiliate and of the MCB Credit Union. She was a member of the Alumni Association of the Missouri School for the Blind and served for some time on the Advisory Council of MSB. She was a member and past president of the Mid-Town St. Louis Lions Club who presented to her the Melvin Jones Award. A devout believer in her religion, she never failed to make time for service in her church, where she took her turn as reader at Sunday mass. This may have been the first time her fellow parishioners had ever seen braille in use.
Assunta was not just a joiner, she was a worker. Whenever a project was afoot she was there with slate and stylus, typewriter, tape recorder, telephone or whatever it took to get the job done.
Her personal work history is one of a life-long determination to earn her way as independently as it is possible for a blind person to do. After high school she attended the Mound City Business School in St. Louis. But in the late thirties and early forties jobs for blind young women in the world of business were not merely unavailable; they were unheard of. So her first job was that of proofreader of braille books on a WPA project. (For further information about WPA you may consult a very elderly relative.) During World War II she was among those of us who found employment in the factories that were doing war work. After the war other doors began to open, and Assunta found a position as typist in a state welfare office. This was followed by 30 years of employment as transcriber of records for the Federal Civil Service Commission.
Assunta was never too busy to enjoy life. When in school she sang in chorus and glee club and played piano and organ. She loved parties as guest or as host.
Assunta was loyal and generous with time and talent. She made friends wherever she went, as many readers of the “Forum” may remember, especially those of you who were fortunate to enjoy her company at ACB conventions in cities all the way from Boston to San Francisco. She knew how to work and how to play, how to serve in any cause she believed in and how to celebrate the companionship of friends. I am sorry to have lost her and truly grateful to have known her.