Rita Silva Berkel was born in Santa Barbara on October 5, 1934 to Frank Perry and Rita Antoinette
Carrillo Silva. She passed away at her home in Atascadero on December 16, 2013.
Rita was an eighth generation descendant of the Carrillo family dating back to Don Jose Raimundo Carrillo. Don Jose Raimundo Carrillo came t o California on orders from the King of Spain with
the Gaspar De Portola’s expedition in 1769. He later help found the Presidio and Old Mission in Santa Barbara under the spiritual guidance of Franciscan Padre Junipero Serra where the first of the California Missions was founded. Rita’s mother was a direct descendant of the Carrillo family.
Rita graduated from Santa Barbara High School in 1952 as well as her husband, Ron. Rita loved to roller skate, and it’s at the roller rink where she started dating her husband Ron. They were quite the skaters. Ron and Rita were married 59 wonderful years.
Rita and Ron owned a Foster’s Freeze in San Diego for several years. After retiring they moved to Atascadero in 2000 to be near their daughter Sharon and her family. Rita’s first love was her family. Rita became a volunteer at Twin Cities Hospital for the last eight years. She dearly loved being a volunteer where she could help people. One of her favorite things to do was going to the San Diego Chargers Football games. She and her husband were avid football fans and held season tickets for almost forty years. She also loved to do crosswords and play solitaire on the computer.
Rita is survived by her husband Ronald, daughter and son in law, Sharon and Marc Jaeger. Brother and sister in law Robert and Carmen Silva and their son and daughter Craig Silva and Cheryl Tarves. She was preceded in
death by her brother Albert Silva who has two sons Mark and Greg Silva.
Rita will be terribly missed and remembered lovingly by so many.
