Rita Hilton

Rita Hilton, age 93, passed peacefully in her home in Boca Raton on Thursday, April 30, 2020. Rita's life can only be described as a "triumph of spirit." She wanted to be remembered as an Eishet Chayil, a "woman of valor." She will be missed greatly by her beloved family and the many others she touched with her humor and warmth as she recounted her holocaust history for students and many others in Washington, Connecticut and South Florida. Rita was born in Warsaw, Poland July 23, 1926 to Moses Lewin and Doctor Flora Kleinert. After divorcing Moses, Flora and Rita moved in with Flora's parents, Markus and Salomea Kleinert in Pabianice, Poland, where Markus and Flora practiced dentistry together. After the German invasion, the Jews of Pabianice were moved into a ghetto there which was later liquidated into the Lodz Ghetto. When the Lodz Ghetto was liquidated Salomea, Flora and Rita were transported to Auschwitz (Markus died in the Ghetto). Salomea was sent to the chambers upon arrival. Rita and Flora were not, and they ended up being sent to Bergen-Belson because of Flora's "medical" skills. They were liberated by British troops on April 15, 1945. Flora's sister Rose and her family rescued Rita and Flora from a Swedish DP camp and brought them to Washington, DC after the war. Rita attended Roosevelt High School and was planning on attending Howard University when Flora met a widower, Alex Adin and the family moved to NYC. There Rita met Leonard Helzel and the two were married in 1949. Rita insisted they change their name and they settled on Hilton. Leonard became a successful contractor and they raised their two children, Monica and Jeff, in New Rochelle, NY. Rita was a travel agent and painted. Her works adorn the walls of all her family and many others. She never let her early experiences color her approach to life and family. After the founding of the US Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC she began speaking to groups and especially school children about her experiences. By then she and Lenny had settled in Lake Worth, FL, they moved to Boca Raton in 2008. She was predeceased by Leonard and is survived by Monica Hilton Sussman (Richard) of Potomac, MD and Jeff Hilton (Alice) of Houston, TX, grandchildren Joshua Sussman (Melissa) of Los Angeles, CA and Robyn Sussman (Dan Ackerman) of Philadelphia, PA, step grandchild Perri Krywick of Houston, TX and four great-grandchildren, Isaiah, Marnie and Elan Sussman and Francis Ackerman.
Burial on Sunday, May 3 will be private and a Celebration of Life Zoom service will be conducted at 5:00PM Sunday. (https://whctemple.zoom.us/j/97072837962).
In lieu of flowers Rita requested donations be made to The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum: Make a Tribute Gift.