Elizabeth May Taus (Betty Masa), 92, died on Aug. 5, 2025. She was preceded in death by her husband of 57 years, Frank Victor. She attended Farragut High School where she played flute in the band and earned her bachelor’s degree from Chicago Teachers College with honors in 1955. A Riverside
for 66 years to the exact day, she spent more than 32 years teaching in the Chicago Public School system, primarily at Robert Burns Elementary School, which she also attended growing up. She enjoyed including music, singing, writing and art to supplement the academic curriculum for her students and cultivated many friendships while teaching.
She remained an educator after her retirement in 1994, volunteering as a tram narrator for Brookfield Zoo where she worked among her favorite animals, especially Olga the walrus. Her passions included sewing for family and school events, reading and crossword puzzles, handily completing each week’s Sunday NYT puzzle in ink. She enjoyed bicycling around town and walking her dog to Swan Pond. In her later years, she remained a neighborhood walker, greeting old friends, meeting new ones and chatting with their children and pets. The Riverside Public Library, Guthrie Park Events and 4th of July celebrations at Longcommon Park were an integral part of her enjoyment of life in Riverside, and appreciated the assistance of Riverside’s fire and police personnel in her later years and caring neighbors and home caregivers on her journey.
Eliza is survived by her three children, Victoria (Darrell), Chris (Judy) and Nancy (Tim); her grandchildren, Emily (Matt), Anna, Mike and Jack (Jordyn); and great-granddaughter, Rose.