Rita A. Carls

Rita Ann Brogan Carls

March 31, 1933 - January 9, 2021

Rita Ann Brogan Carls passed away peacefully on January 9, 2021 in Thousand Oaks, CA. She was born Rita Ann Brogan to Joseph Patrick and Mary Ann Brogan in Chicago, Illinois.

Rita was the youngest of three children, including siblings George (d) and Eileen (d) who were all raised on the South Side of Chicago. Her beauty and charm garnered attention early on, when she starred as the poster child for Kraft Chocolate, and later went on to model for Marshall Field Department Store. She attended St. Felicitas grammar school (notably skipping two grades) and then graduated from Aquinas High School.

It was during her time in high school, while at a party, that she met her future husband, Keith Valentine Carls (d) and they began their love story of 65 years. Post high school, Keith went off to the Korean War while Rita attended Chicago Teachers College. Once Keith returned, they married in Chicago in 1954 and soon after, started their big family. Their first three children;  James, John and Mary Anne were born in Chicago. In 1960, they fulfilled their California dream by packing up their belongings and traveling out to Los Angeles, (with three small children under the age of five no less!) In the six years following, Patty, Keith and Nancy were born to complete their family.

Family and her faith were everything to Rita. She was a devout Catholic all her life. She was truly her family’s moral compass, teaching the importance of kindness and compassion, and practicing these acts in everyday life. She was the epitome of modesty and grace. She dedicated her life to being a loving wife, mother and grandmother. She was extremely proud of her Irish ancestry as a descendant of the immigrant Brogan and McGinley families and loved her visit to Ireland that she made later in life.

In addition to pouring her love and energy into her family and raising her six children, she went on to begin her journey working outside the home as an Administrative Assistant for JBL, St. Joseph Hospital’s Chief of Staff in Burbank, and lastly at Oxnard College in the Athletic Department before retiring.

She loved all things beautiful, especially fashion and home decor. It was a rare occasion that you didn’t see Rita in her signature white blouse, a beautiful skirt, an issue of Vogue Magazine in hand and a little piece of chocolate in the other.   

Rita is survived by her six children, James, John and wife Jonna (Veitch) Carls, daughter Mary Anne and husband Paul Infante, daughter Patricia and husband David Manglano, son Keith and wife Katharina (Widjaja), daughter Nancy and husband Horace Zona.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

Known as Mimi to her ten wonderful grandchildren all of whom she absolutely adored, Susanna and Mary Carls, Michael (Camila Pacheco) and Molly Infante, Liam, Patrick and Sofia Manglano, Charles, Elizabeth and Henry Laurencio.

Services and interment were privately held at Conejo Mountain Cemetery in Camarillo, CA.