Sophia G. Lilley, 82, of Carlisle, passed away peacefully at home on April 20, 2026, surrounded by her family.

Born in Brooklyn, New York on March 27, 1944, she was the daughter of Ida and Peter Graniela.

A graduate of the Academy of Saint Joseph, she began college at St John’s University where she was a member of Chi Beta Alpha sorority and Coordinettes dance troupe. While performing at West Point with the dance troupe, she met then Cadet Robert Lilley whom she married in February 1963 at St Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City. As an Army wife, she lived in eleven locations from Hawaii to Africa and upon their arrival in Carlisle in 1979 they knew it would be their forever home. She resumed college after her children started school and graduated from George Mason University with a major in Elementary Education and later became a certified English as a Second Language teacher.

Sophia was a longtime member of Saint Patrick Church in Carlisle. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband who passed away in 2016. And is survived by her daughter Lisa, and her husband Rafat, her sons Bob and Shawn and his partner Jodi. Her precious granddaughters, Gianna and Hanna, were the light of her life. She leaves behind many family and friends both near and far.

Sophia was an enthusiastic cook and known for her recipe and cookbook collection. She loved her cooking lessons with her international students and lunches with the gourmet club at Carlisle Barracks. She was also an avid traveler and visited every continent except Antarctica. Her fluency in Spanish and French proved to be useful during her many trips that often revolved around visiting international friends and students that she had met and taught over the years.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, at 11:00 AM in the Saint Katharine Drexel Parish, 1 Peter Drive, Mechanicsburg, PA with Rev. Chiedozie F. Ononuju as celebrant. A visitation will be held on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, from 5:00 PM until 7:00 PM in the Hollinger Funeral Home & Crematory, 501 N. Baltimore Ave, Mt. Holly Springs, PA, and on Wednesday before services from 10:00 AM until 10:45 AM. Interment will be at Arlington National Cemetery at a later date. 

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Saint Patrick Catholic Church 152 East Pomfret Street, Carlisle, PA 17013, or American Cancer Society Hope Lodge, 636 West Lexington Street, Baltimore, MD 21201. Visit HollingerFuneralHome.com to offer condolences to the family.