ALMOST 95, WOMAN STILL LOVES HER JOB.

Byline: DENNIS McCARTHY 

Lillian Brill walked in the front door of ONEgeneration in Van Nuys in early 1994, looking for a job.

Not a paying job, she said. A volunteer job. Something to keep her busy. Give her a reason to get up early every morning, shower, dress and be out of the house by 9.

At 85, she still wasn't ready for retirement, she told Sharon Lin, who would become her supervisor at ONEgeneration. There were still too many things she wanted to do - like learn how to use one of those fancy computers that were becoming so popular.

``She had taught herself to type at 75, and now she wanted a job working on computers,'' Lin said Monday. ``I put her right to work, and she was a natural. People loved her.''

Almost 10 years have passed since that day in '94, just before the Northridge Earthquake. In a few weeks Lillian will turn 95 - the oldest of more than 400 seniors who volunteer every month at ONEgeneration, a local, nonprofit agency that focuses on healthy aging and early childhood development.

And, no, she's still not ready to retire.

``The woman is an inspiration to all of us,'' said Marsha Koff, ONE's director of volunteers. ``You look at her and wonder: Could I do that?

``Even on the days when she's not up to it, she forces herself to come in. If she's really not feeling well, a few days may go by that she's out, and we start thinking maybe Lillian's not coming back. After all, she is almost 95.

``Then she'll walk in the next morning, smiling, all dressed up and ready to go, like she's never been gone. The woman is amazing.''

Not amazing, Lillian says. Just not ready to quit yet.

``What am I going to do, sit home and watch TV all day?'' asked Lillian, who puts in about four hours a day, three days a week.

``There's a lot of things seniors can be doing - a lot of things that need doing - like helping and thanking people for their generosity,'' she said.

Lillian works in the donations department at ONEgeneration, using that computer to write thank-you letters to donors and to update the mailing lists.

She did the same thing on a typewriter for the American Cancer Society for 10 years before joining ONE. Her last paying job was as a civilian employee for the Los Angeles Police Department in the 1970s, when Ed Davis, later a state senator, was chief of police.

``I worked in the auto-theft department for about 10 years answering the phones and writing down the license plate numbers of stolen cars,'' she said.

She retired to spend time with her husband, Morton. After he died, Lillian decided this retirement business wasn't all it was cracked up to be.

In fact, it was downright boring and lonely. Her only child - a son, Gary - was long grown and gone from her home. So she hit the bricks.

``I think being around active people is the key,'' Lillian said Monday, taking a break from writing thank-you letters. ``Having a job where you're needed keeps you going.

``You don't have all those empty hours sitting around thinking about how old you're getting or all the aches and pains. You have a job and people who are relying on you to show up.

``You're too busy working to get old.''

Dennis McCarthy, [phone]

dennis.mccarthy(at)dailynews.com

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Photo:

Lillian Brill is well-groomed and a model of reliability on the job at ONEgeneration in Van Nuys, where she has worked for free since 1994.

Michael Owen Baker/Staff Photographer