Litria "Lydia" Colombo (Gibilisco), age 80, of Hingham, MA, formerly of Niantic & Stratford, Connecticut, passed away peacefully on January 19, 2022.  Lydia lived a great life -happily married to her husband, Michael, for almost 52 years.  She raised 2 children and 6 grandchildren, in addition to being a "mom" to countless others.

Lydia was born on May 24, 1941, in Canicattini Bagni, a Province of Syracuse, Sicily, Italy.  She was raised in a small town and started sewing as a child.  Lydia would sew dolls and other clothing by hand, until she was 13 years old, when she got her first Necci sewing (foot pedal) machine.  As a teenager, she perfected the art of embroidery, monogramming, and eventually, became a seamstress, working with fine Italian linens to create clothing, from scratch.  There were no patterns in her era as a teenager to create clothing.  Lydia used photographs and her artistic abilities to replicate the desired clothing, which later became her signature when she came to the United States.

Lydia came to the United States to see the World's Fair in New York, which opened in April 1964.  She was just 23 years old when she arrived here on a 28-day visitors' visa, which ultimately turned into a lifetime of happiness and success.  In 1964, Lydia decided to leave behind her culture, parents, siblings, and large family to pursue what we all refer to as the "American dream".  She filled out her work visa paperwork and was labeled a "tailor", but she was much more than that due to her experience.  After enrolling as a student in the Spanish American Institute to learn English, her dressmaking talents were quickly noticed, as she began to flourish in New York City's Garment District and in Manhattan.  She worked for various luxury clothing establishments, such as Bergdorf Goodman and Saks Fifth Avenue.  Thereafter, her unique dressmaking abilities were spotted by various fashion & clothing designers, which led her to become a seamstress for several high-profile clients.  Lydia did custom-fitted work for several high-end fashion designers, including Valentino, Donald Brooks, Roy Halston, and Geoffrey Beene.  Lydia constructed dresses by hand, from start to finish, with just a photograph or a sketch drawing, which is a rare talent.  The fashion designers would bring their sketches and expensive fabrics to Lydia, who in turn, created the garments for their clients.

Through her talents, she met wonderful people and worked on gowns or custom-fitted dresses for numerous celebrities, including Jacqueline Kennedy, Luci Baines Johnson (daughter of President Lyndon B. Johnson), Happy Rockefeller, Ben Gazzara, and Natalie Wood.  She also sewed a custom dress for the Shah of Iran's first wife, Queen Soraya.  One of Lydia's proudest moments in her career was her work on the wedding dress for Lynda Bird Johnson (daughter of President Lyndon B. Johnson) for her 1967 wedding to Chuck Robb.   Lydia was the seamstress who constructed that stunning wedding gown in 1967, which have been seen by millions.

In 1968, Lydia assisted in construction of the wedding dress for Jacqueline Kennedy, when she married Aristotle Onassis, which has also been seen by millions.  Following the wedding, Lydia made a cocktail dress and a blouse for the newly married, Jackie "O".

In 1969, when Lydia was 28 years old, she met her future husband, Michael Colombo, at gathering in Hartford, CT.   Michael would ride the train to visit Lydia in New York City and their relationship turned to marriage, quickly.

On September 27, 1970, they got married when Lydia was 29 years old and Michael was 28 years old.  They began a journey of unconditional love, support, and a bond which has lasted over five decades.  Lydia wanted to be a "mom" more than anything else, so they decided to move to Connecticut.  Lydia gave up the high-end fashion design world because she wanted to raise children.  In 1972, her son, Michael, was born, and several years later, her daughter, Lucy, was born in 1975.

Lydia, Michael Sr., Michael Jr. and Lucy, lived together in Stratford, Connecticut for two decades, enjoying many great family trips, lots of laughs, and most of all, Lydia's gourmet Italian cooking, which was another of her many talents.  Lydia supported her family throughout the years by creating and designing custom dresses for thousands.   Lydia would take new brides into Manhattan, to pick out fine linens and fabrics for their big wedding day, however, it was cost pennies on the dollar because Lydia knew exactly where to go to buy these materials at wholesale prices.  Word spread quickly and a portion of their house turned into Lydia's sewing studio.

Lydia taught her children the true meaning of work ethic and professionalism, as she worked tirelessly throughout weekends, nights, and holidays, to make every wedding a special wedding for her brides.  Lydia's talent and work ethic was literally unmatched in the area, so many bridal salons and luxury fashion stores would call upon Lydia for help.  Lydia prided herself on her work, but also being able to send both of her children to private high schools and colleges because her goal was to make her children more educated and give them resources than she had growing up.

Lydia and her husband, Michael, constructed their family home in Stratford Connecticut in 1981, where they lived happily with their children for 26 years.  In 2007, they moved to Niantic, Connecticut, where they lived until 2020, for 13 years.  In 2020, Lydia decided to retire in Hingham, Massachusetts, where she lived until her passing.

Lydia and Michael were married for 51 years, true soulmates, never leaving each other's side, and supported their family and friends unconditionally.

Lydia's passions included: faith in God, church, family time, family trips (Disney World, the Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Aruba, Italy, San Diego, Beverly Hills, Bahamas, Bermuda, Pennsylvania and Boston), watching her kids and grandchildren play sports, making her daughter Lucy's wedding dress, making her daughter-in-law, Susan's wedding dress, sewing for her family, making the faces of her brides light up with her custom work, and of course, the good times at Mohegan Sun Casino, where her son, Michael, got married on October 23, 2004.  Lydia loved sports too, as she had the wedding coordinator bring out a huge TV to watch the Boston Red Sox win Game 1 of the World Series, as the Red Sox went on to make history that year.  Lydia thrived on the success of the underdog, so part of her passion was also to cheer on the underdog in sporting events.

Lydia is survived by her husband, Michael, her brother Francesco "Frank" Gibilisco, her son, Michael, her daughter, Lucy, her daughter-in-law, Susan, her son-in-law, William Jacobus, and her six grandchildren, Billy Jacobus, Frankie Jacobus, Julie Jacobus, Daniel Colombo, Rocco Colombo, and Isaac Colombo.

Lydia is now in heaven to join her parents, Marianna and Sebastiano Gibilisco, her brothers, Michele and Giuseppe, and her sister, Concetta.

Family and friends will gather to celebrate Lydia's life during visiting hours on Saturday February 12th, from 9:45-10:45 am in McNamara-Sparrell Funeral Homes, 160 So. Main St. (Across from St. Anthony Church), Cohasset.  A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Anthony's Church, Cohasset, on Saturday Feb 12, 2022, at 11:00 am.

Donations in memory of Lydia Colombo can be made to The Pat Roche Hospice Home, 120 Longwater Drive, Norwell, MA 02061.  Online donations can be made at nvna.org.