Lilla Hallett

Lilla Eliet Hallett passed away peacefully at the age of 91 on September 17, 2026, with her husband Art and children by her side.  Lilla was born in Chicago, IL, to Samuel Eliet and Anna (Murphy) Eliet and was the eldest of three children.  Her family later moved to Kalamazoo, MI, where Lilla attended high school before matriculating to Oberlin College.  It was at Oberlin, during the fall of their freshman year, that Lilla and Art first met and began dating.  When Art interrupted his education for two years of military service, Lilla completed her undergraduate art degree at Western Michigan University.  Upon Art’s return from Germany, they married and began a life together in Oberlin, OH, where Art earned his bachelor’s degree and Lilla worked as a school teacher and first discovered her special gift connecting with and inspiring children of all ages.  Lilla and Art subsequently moved to Hartford, CT, and to Sewickley, PA, where they lived in the same house together for the last 56 years.

In Hartford, Lilla continued to inspire young people as an art teacher for girls who had been court appointed to live with the Sisters of the Good Shepherd in their “reform school.”  While many teachers and administrators viewed the girls very warily, Lilla loved them and commanded their respect.  She convinced the administration to allow the girls, who were normally confined to the premises, to attend art exhibitions with her.  She trusted her students to live up to her expectations and they did.  Following the move to Sewickley, Lilla continued to help children in need at the St. Peter’s Child Development Center, where she volunteered countless hours supporting the development of autistic children.  She had a remarkable ability to inspire and improve the lives of children of all backgrounds and circumstances.

In addition to her work with children, for two decades, Lilla was a co-owner of The Porcupine needlepoint shop in Sewickley where she applied her skills as an artist by painting special order needlepoint canvases.  Her work was exquisitely detailed and beautiful, her reputation preceded her and clients came from all over the region with their unique requests.

Lilla also had many other interests, including the New York Times crossword puzzle, bridge, swimming, tennis, paddle tennis, fly fishing and golf.  She was socially conscious and politically engaged, including participation in Hartford’s League of Women Voters and involvement in political campaigns.  She was a voracious reader (across all genres, but her guilty pleasure was true crime) and she loved attending events with authors.  She introduced her family to vacations on Lake Michigan, which became a decades long family tradition.  It was a cherished place for her.

While Lilla had many interests and talents, her lifelong joy was her family, whose lives she enriched beyond measure.  She was a loving and supportive wife, mother, aunt and grandmother (“Grammy”), who was smart, strong-willed, creative, intellectually curious and fun-loving.  She orchestrated all family holidays and loved every minute of it.  She was the center and beating heart of her family, and she will be missed dearly.  

Lilla is survived by her husband, Arthur L. Hallett, with whom she celebrated her 70th wedding anniversary in August, her children Mia Hallett Bernard (Joel) and William E. Hallett (Melissa), her grandchildren Alexandra Bernard (Taylor Yozwiak), Samuel Hallett and Katherine Hallett, her brother David Eliet, her nephew Colm Eliet (Carolyn) and their children Luca Eliet and Trice Eliet.  She was pre-deceased by her sister Patricia Eliet.

The Hallett family would like to extend its heartfelt gratitude to the extraordinary team of caregivers, including Molly Amsler, Daniella Helkowski, Tina Sauro, Maria Helkowski, Jane Carlson and Casey Hoge, who assisted Lilla near the end of her life.

Memorial services will be private.  Donations in Lilla’s memory may be made to the Children’s Institute of Pittsburgh (https://secure.qgiv.com/for/generalgivingformamazingkidsorg/) and the Children’s Advocacy Program of the Women’s Center and Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh (https://giving.gofundme.com/campaign/738336/donate).