Share. Connect. Love.
Sheri lalumondier
So many gifted writers on this site! I am inspired by you all, but mostly Liza who lived exactly the way I want to, experiencing joy often and just enjoying the moment. I truly wish I could memorize the eulogy and recall it daily!
Dot Clements
Oh Liza! Oh Liza! You charmed us all!!! Your sweet memories will live forever! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ Dot Clements
Karen
Of course I’m still checking in to read updates on life, although bittersweet I know. I think you’ve done incredibly well in spite of the circumstances life has thrown your way. I’ve thoroughly “enjoyed” reading posts from whomever wrote them at the time so eloquently. Hannah is out of school/work for the summer and spent the day at home from dog sitting until Sunday. She just left here and I thought of you, so I came to your site. I cannot imagine not talking to Hannah, not seeing her, not having her in my life. It makes my heart hurt for you, BUT I know without doubt you are rising above to press on and live life FOR YOUR GALS. You inspire me in so many ways…sending hugs and love from StanCo NC.
Karen
Melanie Prentzas
After reading Ed’s beautiful post, I want to share my memories of Lizapalooza. In hopes that it will inspire others.
. As June 3rd approached, my thoughts were of the weekend I would spend in Asheville to celebrate Liza. Lizapalooza I began to call it ( but not out loud since I didn’t want to offend anyone grieving that didn’t get this “big Liza energy”.Laura and I were elementary school class mates and good friends. We attended high school together but had lost touch.
After our Myers Park class reunions, I reconnected with Laura. Laura shared her stories about Edie and we both shared about our divorces and children.
I never knew Edie, which makes me sad. But I knew Liza. As the day approached for Lizapalooza I searched for the proper outfit. Not black for mourning, but brilliant and bright colors. Bright yellows and orange. I knew Liza and Laura would approve! But what shoes to wear in a field with a long skirt? Cowboy ankle boots of course! What I didn’t expect, was all the others who dressed the same. And all those beautiful girls wearing Liza dresses. Arriving with my elementary school school friends and finding others I hadn’t seen in nearly 40 years! We sang and we danced with Laura. As I took it all in, I looked around to see hundreds of people “Liza Lovers” all that “Big Liza Energy”.
The last time I saw Liza, was Christmas Eve 2022 Panthers game. . It was a record cold day. Wind chill at 0 and I almost didn’t go since all my pipes were frozen and I had to cancel my Christmas dinner. So grateful I did! My oldest girl and I next to Liza. Her beaming smile under the cute Santa hat. She warmed our hearts and our souls that day. 💛💛💛
Ed Kizer
A deep bow to Laura and everyone on the Big Liza Energy journey! I found so much inspiration here and I wanted to share what I wrote about my experience and remembrance of Liza. (It exceeds the character limit for Post Hope so I’ve split it into two posts)
The Gift: One More Prayer for Liza
Taylor Ranch, where they held Liza’s service is pretty but not spectacular. It seemed like the first really warm day of summer; the sun was intense and we were lucky to have an umbrella in the car. The thing I loved about the setting was the grass – thick, lush, soft, a dark green. I knew that if I took my shoes off and got to stand in that grass, the stress I’d been feeling, the stress that seemed to come out of nowhere, for no reason, would dissipate and I could feel connected, I could be open to what this moment, what this experience had to offer.
So I before the service started, I stood there, feeling my feet on this earth, and I thought of the many ways I was connected to Liza – a friend of my daughters, she had accompanied us on a weekend camping trip, her mother Laura had helped my wife when she started a tutoring business, my father had gone to college with her grandfather, Ed talked about spending time with the McKeithans in London, my parents also lived on Lake Norman and had taken the girls skiing, even my having gone to college with Bill Van Cleave, the Asheville High teacher who had provided Laura with the letter Liza had written to herself just before graduation, a letter that proved to be such a powerful part of the service. It seemed like a giant web of connection extending out in the world and back to this moment, to be felt through this grass.
And I thought back to Elyse’s, maybe 12th birthday, when we had taken the girls camping on Lake Joccassee. I don’t remember that much about the weekend; but, how feisty and passionate Liza was definitely stuck out. From a young age Elyse’s energy always seemed to press to the forefront of any activity or group so she and Liza clashed. The girls were energetic, angsty, loud – giggling and squealing much of the time. We camped far enough away to get some space but, hopefully, close enough that it would still seem like we were supervising them. We took two cars, as I remember it, Liza rode up front with me, maybe it was Maisy or Abby in the back. I don’t recall that we spoke much. I think I let Liza pick the music, I think she played mostly country, or I like to think of it that way now.
More recently, when I went to the river for ceremony and to make my best effort at a prayer for Liza, I had fresh memories of being outside of Athens with elder Robert for Spring Equinox. Now, I desired to make what he would call “a good prayer.” My best effort felt awkward, forced. Maybe not just because I didn’t have much experience with this but, instead, because I felt it needed to be about Liza’s healing. And I did pray for Liza’s healing. Yet, a part of me also seemed to know that the thing I really needed to pray about was transformation, and it needed to be for Liza’s family and friends, everyone that knew and loved her. So, I beat my drum and said my prayer and I offered some tobacco to the river, asking the ancestors, the spirits to carry it out of the mountains and down into the valleys and lowlands and eventually to the ocean where it might flow south to Jacksonville, finding its way to Liza and those going through this experience with her.
I made that first prayer for Liza around the end of March. At the time, I think she had been at the hospital in Jacksonville for just a few days. What would transpire over the next few weeks would turn out to be heart wrenching, inspiring and national news. In some ways, it felt so surreal – what the family was going through, Laura’s strength through it all, the communication through Post Hope, the struggle, the decision to stop treatment, her friends saying goodbye on Post Hope, deciding to move Liza to a place on the water and start Hospice, to do everything possible to make the most of Liza’s final days. And I was so grateful that they shared this journey and, maybe most of all, hearing about the sea life – dolphins, turtles, even manatees – visiting their dock. Now I like to think that maybe the ancestors, the spirits had carried my prayer to them –and those animal spirits were giving them strength, supporting their transformation.
And so, around the time of the service, maybe the day of the service, I started to think about my own transformation. Now, at age almost 53, having been struggling so much to work through what had become such a dark period in my life and always wanting to go back to the ease I once know, to have one more of those peak experiences. Except, now, I was starting to see that life is not just about these moments of clarity and openness but that much of our growth, our change, our greatest transformation, or even awakening – that can come even at a young age - will be filled with pain and darkness and suffering. In that moment, I think I started to realize that those experiences were just doorways- portals. Healing, though it seems like such an important part of the process, will just be the deep struggle to shut that door and close out the pain, the illness, whatever that darkness is.
I just hadn’t seen that it is then that we will face the real struggle – we’ll stand there, facing that closed door, staring at it, banging on it, struggling to get back in and always knowing that it will never open, that we are not going back. We’ve come to call this grief and it has a deep power to lock us in place, so much focus on that closed door.
Ed Kizer
(Part 2 of a longer post that I’ve split due to character limit)
It is so hard to imagine what Liza went through in her final days and weeks. Was she fighting to heal, to close that door, was she letting go and ready to explore the room she was moving into. I’d like to think, that when Liza left us, the only thing that changed, for her, was that the door disappeared and she was able to step fully into that new room. I think her friend Mary, in the eulogy touched on this, what this might be like. I’d like to think of it as racing down the Blue Ridge Parkway on a warm summer day in your old jeep, the top down, with your friends, the ancient mountains around you, headed for your favorite swimming hole, the music turned all the way up, singing at the top of your lungs. In that room, for Liza, there must be a lot of singing and dancing and, I believe, so much more. Just now, there’s no more need or desire look back just the opportunity to explore that new room - the joy, the freedom, the adventure it brings.
After the service, when we had gone over for the toast and then to see the video her friends had made – the tears just streamed down my face. Seeing the pictures, the videos, it was hard to fathom how Liza, in her just 20 plus years had done so much – caring for her sister, sports, LEAF, living in Mexico with her mother, studying abroad, skiing trips, Lake Norman, time in Utah, more travel, football games, dancing on bars, lots of Karaoke and on and on. I realized that the tears I cried were not about sadness or pain or grief but about life and how much it had to offer.
Liza’s transformation had occurred during the first eclipse portal of 2023. That portal had opened with an Aries New Moon hybrid Solar Eclipse very early on the morning of April 20th. Astrologer Virginia Rosenberg said “eclipses are magic…when you know how to work with this energy, you can realize more of who you are and what you’re really capable of.” Liza left us on early on the morning of April 28th. And it was not the only significant loss I experienced. On May 4th, the day before the Lunar Eclipse in Scorpio closed the portal, the young coon hound I had been caring for, Rufus, was hit by a van and we had decided to let him go. A couple weeks ago I wrote about this experience, this loss, and how Rufus’ vulnerability, the many ways in which he was just such a special dog, had initiated a journey, a portal for me – one that would take me into my heart.
The loss of Rufus had helped me to make that journey into my heart. The gift that Liza gave me was the courage, the absolute fierceness that it takes, to live there. Once, I finally turn around and stop thinking about the doors I’ve been through and I really look around at this new room, its one really fucking beautiful room. And, when that will starts to waiver and I think about that old room and I want to turn around, I will think back to what it felt like standing in that grass at Taylor Ranch, feeling so supported, feeling so connected and I will think of that endless reel of Liza, living so fully in every moment, and I won’t need to look back.
Maybe, it’s even possible that the door back there will disappear for me, in this lifetime, and I will truly know that deep joy, real freedom. And that will be my prayer, that will be Liza’s blessing.
Mickie Thornell
Thinking of you today and always but sending extra LIZA ENERGY to you today. I know the celebration of life will be beautiful. Much love to you mom! Stay strong ! Your light is shining as brightly as your beautiful angels! 💛💛💛
Melanie Prentzas
For anyone that may have missed these details:
Barbara P Jackson
Emmanuel. God with us. What a beautiful reminder of all of the love surrounding you as you went through that wind and moment of stillness. Inexplicable. Just like our God. Uncontainable. The way Liza lived. Praying for such an abundance of peace and joy at graduation.
Heather Sorenson
This appeared on my Facebook page yesterday and I just had to pause. It made me think immediately of Liza. The only thing missing is your so apropos hashtag #LiveLikeLiza!
"The trick is to live a life you won’t be sad about, if your time is up too soon. And it won’t be the houses, the cars or the accolades you count, should that untimely moment arise. It will simply be the love. Whatever you do, whomever you love, do it with passion. Do it with purpose, with meaning, give it your all. Because it is that, and that alone, which your soul will take with it on its journey."
Alison Willis
Ms. Laura and Liza’s beautiful family, my prayers go out to each of you. I am a mum and gramma and my heart aches to hear of the devastating passing of your beautiful Liza. Like so many, your daughter Liza’s story captured by the news, her bright light so very evident and the fragility of life and how it can be so easily an unsuspecting and unwelcomed interruption in the lives of those who are left behind to bear its horrendous grief. What is most beautiful to see has been the strength of your family and those of you who knew Liza best. I didn’t know your baby, but she had already accomplished so much in her short time here on earth.
May God bless you and embrace you in your tears, sorrow, and even in your laughter when you in those precious moments that leave you smiling when you remember and hold close your beautiful Liza.
Alison Willis(Allie)
Yorktown, VA
Ann Sapp
Hi My name is Ann,
I have been following this article online for quite sometime. So sorry to hear of the passing of Liza! The article bought tears to my eyes. After reading her journal and looking at the pics, she was a bright and glooming young lady! She was most definitely surrounded by loved ones and that's a great thing. I didn't know Liza nor did I know the family. I wanted to give my deepest condolences to the family. May she rest in peace with her sister. Always remember, we ALL serve one God; who is the maker of ALL!
My prayers are with you all; Keep the faith and May God bless you all!
**Ann Sapp
Waynesboro, GA
kristin kash
I did not know Liza. I do not know this family personally. But we all have the same maker and thus, you are family. My prayers are with you all. She was clearly a bright light here in earth. May your faith continue. God bless you all.
katie
Hi My name is Katie I had just come across this article online when I started to read it I couldn't help but have tears in my eyes. after reading the article I thought no there needs to be more to this so I came looking for more information on Liza and came to this website of hers. I have to say she was one kick ass rock star. Reading her journey, she for sure lived a good life. She was definitely surrounded by loved ones because I can see she was loved a lot. looking at her photos and thinking in my head this poor girl had so much more life in her. but she was no doubtable loved out rugosely fearless and tough and also kind and amazing all wrapped in one. I wanted to give my deepest condolences to the family. May she rest in peace with her sister
-Katie Wynott From Savannah Ga-
Sharon Marell
Sorry for your loss. God be with you and give you strength at this difficult time. God bless you. Keep the Faith God will see you through. Sending love and prayers.
Sharon Marell
Jacksonville, Florida
