Lisa was born at Palo Alto Hospital and grew up in Los Altos Hills, California. She passed away April 21, 2016, in Seattle after a long and valiant battle with cancer. She didn’t want a long obit—if you know her you will know she was a very private person. But as her big sister, I am taking the liberty of writing one. I hope she won’t be mad at me.
Our dad built the family home in 1950, when Los Altos was just Los Altos--a modest town of apricot orchards, fields of mustard, and ranch-style homes. She loved it there. An honors student at LAHS, she also loved dance, music, and being athletic. She gave herself intensely to everything she took up, and found her calling in the world of philanthropy. Before going to work for the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation in Seattle, she had worked at the Rosenberg Foundation and the California Healthcare Foundation, among others, in the San Francisco Bay Area. In her words, she was “a versatile professional with broad knowledge of grantmaking and administration. Skilled in systems development; strong team player.”
Our mom, dad, and her husband predeceased her. She leaves behind a loving family of two sisters, a brother, two nieces, two nephews and their families. A private gathering will be held in California in June. If you wish to give something in her memory, we suggest a donation to your favorite charity or your local library. Lisa believed passionately in libraries.