Margaret Rita Lally

She purchased a one-way ticket on a steamer to America age 17, leaving behind her family on their small farm in Claremorris town, County Mayo (western Ireland). Over 30 years later, she won first prize in the Irish Sweepstakes. Margaret “Rita” Lally died at age 98 of natural causes on June 28, 2015. Hers is the story of an Irish immigrant who settled in New York City in 1933 to pave a path to a better life. “If I stayed in Ireland, I would have been expected to care for the farm. That wasn’t the life I wanted. I had an aunt in America who sponsored me, which meant I did not need to go through Ellis Island. She met me at the dock in New York and helped me find a job,” Rita explained to her grandsons in 1998. Initially, she was a parlor maid for Wall Street scions, including the Lehman family. She was attractive and therefore was called upon to work the “front” of a home. Rita quickly realized that learning about cooking and the kitchens of wealthy households would advance her prospects for pay and for stature. She learned the importance of preparing fresh, flavorful food and of managing the expectations of discerning families and their guests, who in addition to successful executives, also included celebrities such as film actor Errol Flynn. Many praised her breakfast and dinner fare as outstanding, Flynn’s words, according to Rita. Her grandsons would agree. After she married John James Lally, her husband of 32 years who also came to New York City from Ireland, they had two sons. Rita transferred her skills to the executive dining room of Prudential Insurance, where she worked for over 20 years. Then she worked at Bell Telephone (later AT&T) New Jersey headquarters, where she was promoted to manage the Executive Dining Room. She retired with two pensions. In 1967, her good fortune found its way to the Irish Sweepstakes. While the purse could be considered modest by today’s standards, it was significant at the time and contributed to her sons’ college and graduate school educations -- a priority for her, because she did not attend college. Rita played the accordion, enjoyed dancing and laughing, and always had a ready “hello” with a lilting Irish accent for anyone who passed her way. She attributed her happy disposition to “… a healthy outlook on life. Even if things were bad at times in my life, I said, ‘God is good, and I don’t begrudge’. If I lose something, or life is not working out the way I want, I say a prayer. Prayer is very important.” She is survived by two sons, John P. Lally (wife Ann) of Atlanta, Kevin J. Lally of New York City, two grandsons, Mark Lally (Atlanta) and Jack Lally (St. Louis, MO), niece Rita White( Monroe, NY) grand-nephews James Strempel, and Edward Strempel (Atlanta), grand-niece Kathleen McCullough (Jonesboro), grand-nephew Samuel McCullough, IV (Jonesboro), grand-niece Gina White and great grandniece, Meghan Fairweather. Her family thanks The Renaissance on Peachtree and Hospice Atlanta Center for their loving care. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to The Cathedral of Christ the King. A memorial service will be held on Thursday, July 2 at The Cathedral of Christ the King, at 10:30 a.m., followed immediately by a reception in the adjacent Kenny Hall for relatives and friends.