Lilli Huebner

Lilli Huebner, aged 84, died on August 26, 2018, at the caring and loving facility at Eagle’s Nest in Escondido.  She was born on October 17, 1933, in Weidenbrück, a small village outside of Danzig, Germany (now part of Poland). 

She immigrated with her father, step-mother, two brothers and three sisters to Canada shortly after the Second World War, where they settled in and around Toronto, Ontario. In August, 1954, she married Paul Helmut Huebner, a man she had met on the voyage over from Germany.  Apparently he decided pretty quickly that she was the woman of his dreams, but she took a little longer to convince.  They were happily married for 51 years before Paul passed away in 2005.

In 1964, they moved to Los Angeles to escape the brutal winters in Ontario. Lilli worked as a bookkeeper and accounting clerk for the Los Angeles Rams and Atlantic Richfield Co., but she was not happy in Los Angeles. 

In 1965, they purchased a small avocado ranch in Escondido, California, and together they remodeled the existing home.  Lilli also spent her time gardening, raising her daughter Nancy, tending the animals, and volunteering at her church, where she was known for her cooking skills.

In the early 1980’s, Lilli went to work for the San Marcos Unified School District as a bus driver, where she drove and worked as transportation aid for the handicapped and special education program for 22 years as a regular employee, and then over twelve years as a substitute. She loved her job, and she loved the children. 

Her other great love in life was animals.  She always had animals around, and she had a special knack with them.  Even to her last day on earth, the presence of a dog could make her smile in a way that no person could.

She is survived by her brother Alvin Samulewitsch, sisters Helen Piche and Hilda Lamore, many nieces, nephews and cousins; daughter Nancy Huebner; Gus the border terrier and great love of her final years; Ursula Pardee, her sister from another mother;  and her family by choice, Pats Mendenhall, Tricia O’Conner, and Tim Mendenhall.

A memorial service will be held at Community Lutheran Church, 3575 East Valley Parkway, Escondido, CA 92027, on Sunday, September 9, 2018, at 2:00 p.m.  In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Community Lutheran Church or Voices for Children (www.speakupnow.org).

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