Born in New Rochelle, NY to Keith and Betty Phillips (Irvine), and raised in Newport News, VA where her family knew her as Betsy, she attended Hampton Roads Academy and McCook College. Like many young people in the 60’s, she rebelled against the previous generation and took pleasure in exploring all that was new and unknown. She was a free-spirited, incredibly open-minded and creative individual, who adored art of every sort, music, language, and travel. She thrived on learning and was known for her kindness to those in need. In her early ’20s she became Lisa, and moved with her artist husband (McIzzie) to Mexico. She later bought a house in Denver and lived briefly in Washington, D.C., where her daughter Elizabeth Ruth was born. She worked for Arts International, where she sold, restored, framed and appraised paintings, and later opened galleries for them in California. While still in Denver, she met and married the true love of her life, Daniel Pearson in 1970. They moved to Durango, CO where she later managed a buffalo and trout farm. Although they divorced after just a few years, Daniel and Lisa reunited in 1989 and remained together until her death. In the mid-1970’s she married Gary Rowen and they settled in Gilroy, CA. She raised his children from a previous marriage, several developmentally disabled foster children, as well as her daughter Ruthie. She managed the Gilroy Medical Park from the time it was being built, until she retired in 1994. Lisa and Dan lived in Alaska for several years and later in San Francisco, before returning to Gilroy in 2000. She adored San Francisco and traveled there on the train whenever she could. She was fascinated by the ocean and greatly enjoyed her time at Timber Cove just north of Jenner, where she and Daniel have a weekend home. She loved to walk on the beach and collect items for use in her artistic projects.
Lisa was a fanatic for word puzzles, music of all sorts, and loved to read murder mysteries. Though plagued with arthritis, loss of vision, and other chronic health conditions, she continued to knit until the last; hats, scarves socks and other creations. She constructed beautiful masks out of found materials and was always finding a new or artistic use for objects other people might overlook. Lisa was the ‘handy’ person around the house and taught her daughter to never be afraid to take something apart to find a solution to a problem. She loved interesting foods and was an incredibly adventurous eater. She was not afraid to speak her mind and was always ready to help. Lisa was very brave and withstood a lot of pain. Knowing her vision was failing, she took her last trip in September, to Wales. Her family heritage was Welsh and she had always wanted to visit. She was fascinated by the architecture of the castles and how people lived in them.
Lisa will be missed terribly; her passing was sudden, unexpected, and is a huge blow to the family and those she loved.
Lisa was preceded in death by her mother, Elizabeth Irvine Phillips, and her step-daughter, Joycelynn Rowen. She is survived by her father Keith Phillips, brother Christopher, husband James D.(Dan) Pearson, daughter-Elizabeth Ruth, her husband Duane, and twin grandchildren, Hayden Alexander and Emerson Bailey Floch.
