Roberta Zito

ZITO, Roberta Rosser Los Angeles, Calif., (November 20, 2008) - Roberta Rosser Zito, 65, a member of Nat King Cole's "Merry Young Souls" singing troupe in the 1960's and wife of Nat King Cole's conductor and arranger Joe Zito, died Thursday, November 13th at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles while holding the hands of her children. Born in Dayton, Ohio, Roberta Rosser Zito came from an entertainment family. Her mother, Ann Porter Remington Rosser Meyer Makeever, was a composer and professional opera singer. Her father was an architect whose work included the San Diego Civic Theatre, her older sister, Carlyn, was a former professional prima ballerina who is married to actor Patrick Duffy, her brother Barry was a former flautist for the San Diego Symphony at age 15, and sister Kate, is a singer and physicist.
It was while a freshman at UCLA that Roberta Rosser tried out and secured a spot as part of Nat King Cole's singing troupe. There she met her husband Joe who was Cole's conductor and music director. Together they went on to a career in the music industry, he arranging and conducting for name acts and she singing and recording with a number of them. In 1965 she left the stage to raise her family - Bonnie Jean, Sally Ann and Barry William in New York and then Las Vegas, while occasionally singing in a small opera theater there. She later became an ordained minister with the Teaching of the Inner Christ, Inc., which was founded by her mother in 1966, and later established the Teaching of the Inner Christ Las Vegas Center. In 1985, the Zito's moved to San Diego where Roberta became Pastor and Executive Director of Teaching of the Inner Christ's international headquarters in Lemon Grove where she was also the music director and often could be found singing many solos and writing music for the congregation to sing. She also is a former member and soloist of the San Diego Master Chorale. Off the pulpit and the stage, Roberta loved horses, writing, and reading about American History, a subject she had plans to write a book about. She had written two books in her Children's Series which her 11-year old granddaughter was editing. She was also a lyricist. One of her greatest joys was watching her son Cy Young Award winner Barry Zito pitch for the San Francisco Giants and the Oakland Athletics. But most of all, she loved, cared for, and lavished daily nurturing on her family who loved and adored her. She was a devoted mother and wife and participated passionately in each of their projects, guiding, helping, supporting and cheering them on. In addition to her husband of 44 years, Joe, she is survived by sisters Carlyn Duffy and Kate Rosser, children Bonnie Zito, Sally Zito, and Barry Zito, and granddaughter, Amanda Lipski. A public service in her memory will be held on Saturday, November 22nd at 12 noon at the El Camino Memorial- Sorrento Valley; 5600 Carroll Canyon Road in San Diego, CA.