Beth Rae Titus

Beth Rae Titus, 81, passed away peacefully while surrounded by her family on September 15, 2024. Born in 1943, Beth was a beloved and talented presence in Orange County community theater for 40 years. She spent her career as a secretary for multiple aerospace corporations, but she will always be remembered for her contributions to local theater as an actress and director.

Beth was born in Los Angeles, CA on July 22, 1943 to parents Edgar Ray and Dorothy Gail Hinsley. Her father was a musician and actor in early motion pictures who, as the story goes, met Dorothy because he couldn't get his shoes on in time to leave before a group of young girls visited the LA apartment he shared with roommates. Edgar died when Beth was quite young, leaving Dorothy as a single mother.

Beth attended George Washington High School in Los Angeles, where she followed in her parents’ footsteps and was very active in high school theater. In rehearsals, she met Joe Ciciliot, whom she married shortly after graduation. Their marriage produced one child, Joe Ciciliot, Jr. in 1964. After the marriage ended, Beth became a single mother who always found time to stay active in theater.

While in rehearsals for A Streetcar Named Desire in Westminster, she met and fell in love with Tom Titus, a local theater critic who also acted and directed in his own right. The two married in 1970. Their marriage produced two children, Timothy in 1973 and Mindy in 1979. During that time, Tom and Beth were arguably the “First Couple” of local community theater with both of them acting, directing, and helping to run the Irvine Community Theater.

She wrote and starred in her own children’s Christmas musical, Visions of Sugar Plums, which ran for three seasons at Huntington Beach Community Theater and was revived at the same theater years later. The couple loved to go on cruises together. They were renowned for their epic New Year’s Eve parties, and although their marriage ended in 1983, they remained lifelong friends, and they continued to host those parties together for many years to follow.

Beth continued to work in Aerospace and act in local theater. Over the years, she worked as a secretary for multiple corporations, including McDonnell Douglas, Loral, Ford, Rockwell, and Boeing, ultimately finishing her career in the department of Human Resources at Boeing. During those years she spent time with a group of close friends from theater known as “The Lovelies” and enjoyed cruises, traveling, and local theater with her partner, Tony Grande, whom she was with until his passing in 2011.

She continued to perform during that time. She was active with the sketch comedy group “Shenanigans” and worked with Mindy for many years in interactive murder mystery dinners. In 2007, she competed on “Family Feud” along with other members of her family. They won in two episodes but lost in the third.

Beth loved spending time with her two granddaughters, Riley and Kaylyn Mills. She attended Living Spring Christian Fellowship and worked for many years with Mindy’s mother-in-law Rebecca Mills in the church’s children’s ministry. She was well known for playing Mrs. Claus at the church’s annual Toys 4 Tots Christmas charity event for several years. She also volunteered her time reading to children in local schools and, after learning ventriloquism, performing skits for children with her puppet, Larry.

Beth’s mobility slowly left her in her later years. She endured multiple falls and other limitations on her physical abilities. In 2022, she moved into assisted living at Ivy Park at Bradford in Placentia, CA. There, she enjoyed trivia nights and regular visits from her family.

On September 10, 2024, she was rushed to the Emergency Room at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Orange, CA and underwent emergency surgery. The overall shock to her system from the procedure proved too much for her body to bear, and she passed quietly at 7:25 pm on September 15. Beth is survived by her son Tim with his wife Brenda, daughter Mindy with her husband Aaron, and their daughters Riley and Kaylyn Mills. Her extended family, including Richard and Rebecca Mills, Jane Hyde and Robert Rasmussen, Sally and Terry Hall, Jason and Megan Mills, Anna Rasmussen-Puder and Chris Puder also mourn her.

In one of her last requests, she asked us all to “Remember the good times.” And the Good Times were good. All of us in her family mourn her passing, but we vow to Remember the Good Times.

A celebration of Beth’s life will be held at 11:00 am on Saturday, November 9. The location will be Living Spring Church, 9851 Bixby Ave., in Garden Grove. It would help the family plan if those who would like to attend could complete this Google Form on https://shorturl.at/25orN

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to your favorite local theater, Toys 4 Tots, or a performing arts program of your choice.

Rest in Peace Beth Rae Titus

July 22, 1943 - September 15, 2024.