Louise Rea Bittenbring

Louise Rea Bittenbring, 95, of Arlington, Virginia, passed into the arms of Jesus in the early morning hours of Monday, July 7, 2025. She had been a stroke victim in the able care of the wonderful staff at Sunrise Senior Living, Bluemont Park in Arlington since New Year’s Eve, 2021.

Louise was born in the steel mill town of Donora, Pennsylvania, just south of Pittsburgh. The third of six children born to parents Edward and Dena Zandanel, Louise’s birth was just a few weeks before the start of the Great Depression. She was a diligent and gifted student who loved reading, but money was in short supply, so after graduating from high school, she started working at a lunch counter in town and rapidly became its manager. Life took her west to LaPorte, Indiana for a short time to help her older sister Idy and husband Gene when their first child was born. But life interfered when her mother Dena suddenly needed eye surgery resulting from glaucoma. Louise needed to return to Donora to care for her mother (& father), which she devotedly did.

The Korean War was ongoing when she met and started dating her future husband, Robert H. Rea, also of Donora, a US Marine Lieutenant, who was soon to be in the war zone. They dated, became engaged, and upon Robert’s return from Korea they married in October of 1952. Eventually Louise and Robert settled in Arlington, Virginia, where Robert went to work for the Defense Documentation Center in Alexandria, Virginia, and Louise focused on raising their four children. During this time, Louise developed her many interests such as gardening, cooking, dressmaking, upholstery and furniture restoration, ceramics, lavish embroidery work, crocheting, knitting, quilt-making, wallpapering, tatting, mosaics, stained glass, and her favorite: oil painting. When her oldest child Becky entered high school and began planning for college, in order to help with the cost of tuition, Louise turned to working outside the home, which included work as Admissions Processor at the Health Department in Falls Church, Teaching Assistant for the Kindergarten class at Ashlawn Elementary School in Arlington, and finally landing at The Traveler’s Insurance Company in Annandale, Virginia. There, Louise started as Administrative Assistant to the Claims Representatives Team and eventually rose to the level of the Executive Assistant to the Branch President. After several decades, she retired. Her boss begged her to return, and she did. Several years later, she retired a second time. Her boss this time stopped by her home and implored her to return. She did. She then retired a third time in 1992, and this time stayed retired. Two years later in 1994, her husband Robert passed away following complications from emergency surgery, after 41 years of marriage.

After Robert’s passing, Louise used the solitude to focus on her children, grandchildren, and many talents and hobbies. She also joined several community groups, including the Northern Virginia Opera Guild, Battenburg Lace Society, and also became a volunteer for the Widows and Widowers Group of Arlington, Virginia where she (re-)met Captain Charles Bittenbring, III (USN Retired), whom she quickly recognized as the Scoutmaster from the local Boy Scout group in which her two sons took part in when they were young, and where she was also a devoted Den Mother. Louise and Charles began dating and fell in love, marrying on January 1, 2000 at Trinity United Presbyterian Church in Arlington, VA. Together they traveled all over mostly Virginia, as Charlie was the Chapter President for the American Association of Retired Persons at that time. They had spiritually fulfilling experiences, actively participating in Trinity Church activities as well as all kinds of AARP social events, including being invited to the White House for a photo with then US President George W. Bush. After Charlie passed away in 2009, Louise added attending many opera performances to her list of activities. She also took Art and History classes at Northern Virginia Community College which included wonderful trips to Turkey, Greece, and Israel.

Louise was a well-organized, but above all energetic person who set and achieved daily goals in all her many interests throughout her life. One of her best qualities was her sense of justice. As an early elementary school student, when a bully was terrorizing her younger brother Sonny (Edward Jr.), she enlisted the help of a friend and ambushed the bully on his way home from school. Louise sat on the bully’s back while her friend smacked his bottom with a board. The bully never bothered Sonny again!

Louise will be missed, painfully missed, by all who knew and loved her.

Louise was married to Robert H. Rea Sr., for 41 years and later to Charles Bittenbring III for 9 years. Her oldest daughter Rebecca Louise Pirocchi passed away in May of 2022. Louise is survived by her 3 remaining children, Robert Hugh Rea Jr. (Sonya); Richard Allen Rea; and Cynthia Rea Callahan (Daniel); 10 beloved grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren. She is survived on the Bittenbring side by Karen (Graham) Nielson, Charles (Patty) Bittenbring IV, John (Dede) Bittenbring, and Laurie (Michael) Gonzalez. She is also survived by her youngest brother, Lee Zandanel (Ruth Ann); and many dear Zandanel nieces and nephews, grand-nieces and grand-nephews.

Please join us in celebrating Louise’s life Monday August 18, 1:00–4:00 PM, Murphy’s Funeral Home, 1102 West Broad Street, Falls Church, VA 22046. Interment Tuesday August 19 (meet at Murphy’s Funeral Home at 10:45 AM if you wish to take part in the funeral procession), 1:00 PM Quantico National Cemetery, 18424 Joplin Road, Triangle, VA 22172.

Donations may be made in Louise’s name to a charity of your choice, or to the American Cancer Society.