Hilkka Liisa Chirello

1935 - 2016

Hilkka Liisa Chirello (Musakka)

A beautiful soul passed away Saturday evening 4/9/2016. Born in Viipuri, Finland in 1935 to Jalmari and Helena Musakka, Hilkka was displaced from her childhood home due to Russian incursion into her Eastern Finnish Homeland during WWII. Fleeing on foot mostly in the dark of night to Tampere, she became one of the few who worked in the American Embassy in Helsinki. Shortly thereafter she decided to emigrate to the U.S sponsored as an au pair for a PV family, she settled down in Torrance. Here she met her husband of 33 years Anthony (Tony, TC) Chirello and birthed one son and two daughters. Both were actively involved in youth soccer, the LA Aztec Booster club and cultivated lifelong friendships in the South Bay. Hilkka worked for TUSD for over 30 years and worked in every school except Anza Elementary. She enjoyed traveling with her daughters and grandsons. In true Scandinavian manner she was compassionate, loving, and willing to try new things, She will be truly missed as she touched so many lives making an impact on all those she came across. A unique woman who lived a unique life and experienced so much, she is preceded in death by husband, Tony and son, Leo Anthony. She leaves behind daughters, Nina and Mary; sons-in-law, Raymie McCoy and MIchael Brown and grandsons, Justin Brandon and Anthony and many nieces and nephews. In lieu of flowers and gifts, please donate to the Juvenille Diabetes Research Foundation Orange County Chapter. Services will be private. Please sign the guest book at www.dailybreeze.com/obits.