Louise Essey Zdilla – Big Sky, Mont., formerly of Rostraver

Louise Essey Zdilla, 96, of Big Sky Mont., formerly of Rostraver for 50 years, died peacefully on Oct. 8 at the Big Sky Medical Center in Big Sky, Mont. She was born July 31, 1927, in Monessen, daughter of the late Ra’ifa Jacobs-Antakli and Slaybey Essey. She was a graduate of Monessen High School in 1943. The founder of All Seasons Travel Agency in Rostraver, Louise was an avid traveler and loved doing business with the Mon Valley community. A successful businesswoman, she nurtured four travel agencies in Monessen, Belle Vernon, New Stanton and Los Angeles, Calif., with her family members. She was a member of the Rostraver Business Association for years and was always involved in their activities. In addition to her studies at the International School of Travel in Philadelphia, Pa., and obtaining her certificate as a certified travel consultant, Louise loved cooking and graduated with a degree in culinary arts from Westmoreland County Community College. Louise’s love of cooking was coupled with her deep love for her family and family traditions. Her home and fabulous cooking were always at the center of family and friend gatherings for picnics, parties and holiday dinners. Her cooking extended to always helping her church as she was a member of St. Michael Antiochian Orthodox Church for more than 80 years and loved cooking with the St. Michael Ladies Society for dinners, church picnics and bake sales. She loved liturgical music and was a member of the choir. Living in Montana, she cooked Syrian food for a local Bozeman restaurant and her son’s Catholic church. She loved offering her foods to friends in her Bozeman community, always hosting lunches and parties for them at her home. She was especially proud of her son and loved going to Mass at his church while always committed to her own Eastern Orthodox faith. Many years she celebrated Holy Week liturgies when Father Val would take her to the local Orthodox Church since she could no longer drive. She loved the ancient faith of her Syrian family until she died. In the mid-’50s, Louise and her husband Val owned and operated V.A.L (Val And Louise) restaurant in Monessen, where families and steelworkers would come in for their delicious food. Prior to her marriage, her love of beautiful clothes and dress led her to work at Miller’s department store in Charleroi. Louise also worked for years at Hills Department Store in Belle Vernon. An avid lover of all animals, Louise and her husband always had animals and in her later years loved living in the midst of Montana’s wildlife near her son. She also loved the cabin her joint family owned in Deep Creek Lake, Md., and took her family there often. Louise was also politically savvy and smart as a whip concerning anything to do with politics. Louise loved movies and delighted in watching movies as a young girl with her mother and later with her son and daughter. Louise especially loved her granddaughter, Desiree, and took great pride in helping raise her and was blessed to welcome her great-granddaughter, Brynlee Louise, into the family. She was loved everywhere she went and was loved especially for her generous heart and unconditional love. Louise is survived by her son, Father Val Zdilla of Big Sky, Mont.; a daughter, Adrienne (Jim) Galvin of Oro Valley, Ariz.; her granddaughter, Desiree (Matt) Durka of Monongahela; great-granddaughter, Brynlee; and many nieces and nephews. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Valley A Zdilla; her sister, Mary Jacob; and brothers, Joe Essey, Ed Essey, George Essey, William Essey and Emil Essey. In her last months, she would mention how she looked forward to seeing them all again. Her Orthodox faith was her foundation. Friends will be received at 10 a.m. Friday, Nov. 3, 2023, for visitation followed by an 11 a.m. service and burial at Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church, 222 Mary St., Belle Vernon, PA 15012, 724-929-9194. In lieu of flowers, Louise would want donation contributions to St. Anthony the Great Orthodox Church, 66 Saint Anthony Way, Bozeman, MT 59718, or Heart of the Valley Animal Shelter, 1549 E. Cameron Bridge Road, Bozeman, MT 59718.