Lisa Josephine Alba
March 8, 1961 - May 3, 2017
Obituary
Our beloved daughter, mother, sister, cousin and friend, Lisa Josephine Alba, passed from this Earth on May 3rd at the age of 56. She had been diagnosed with advanced ovarian cancer just five weeks earlier.
Lisa was born March 8, 1961 in Riverside, California, but spent her life in Federal Way, living just over the border in north Tacoma the past 20 years. Lisa received her joint BA and BS from Evergreen University and later earned her Masters in Zoology. She was a life-long learner and possessed an insatiable curiosity about the natural world. She was an avid advocate for animals – the stranger the critter, the better. She was a gardener extraordinaire and had recently developed an enthusiasm for cacti and succulents.
Lisa had many interests and was passionate about Star Wars, the Seahawks, the Mariners and the environment. She was a talented photographer, potter and scrap booker. She loved horror movies, reading, cooking, social media, the Oregon coast, tide pools and sea life, the aurora borealis, the desert, whales and Hawaii. She hated to fly but would make an exception for Florida or Hawaii. She enjoyed many road trips over the years, traveling to ComicCons, Star Wars Celebrations, National Parks and other places that piqued her interest. Her musical tastes were eclectic, but Hawaiian was her favorite. She loved and appreciated all aspects of David Bowie. She wrote Haiku, spoke on native plants, salmon, food preservation and wildlife with authority.
Lisa held many jobs over her lifetime including Waldenbooks Assistant Manager and most recently teacher of food preservation at The Center of Food Preservation Arts. She made the best pickles! She was active in the Fair Tradin’ Barter Community.
Lisa was the bedrock of her extended family. She never said no when asked for help. If one word could describe Lisa, it was KIND. As her sister, Jill, said, “Lisa was good all her life.” She is survived by her hanai son, Hunter Brooks Alba; her parents Judine and Terry Brooks and Marie and Joseph Alba; he sister, Jill, and step-siblings Amanda Brooks and Alex Brooks (Jake Haddon); and her beloved cousins Kelly and Michael Lovatt, Bill Buchanan, Sharon Steele and many other family members. Her friends and acquaintances are countless but her lifelong pals were Shannon and Buddy Finch, Heather Gibson and Isabelle Rauh. She leaves her dog Kola, five cats and assorted reptiles, always her favorite. She was preceded in death by her grandparents and her best dog ever, Shadow.
A Celebration of Lisa’s extraordinary life will be held June 11th from 1 to 4 pm at The Ruins, 570 Roy Street, in Seattle. A light lunch will be provided with testimonials presented at 2 pm. Please wear your best Hawaiian, Star Wars, Seahawks or Mariners shirt and bring your stories and memories to share.
Donations in her name to the ASPCA, Planned Parenthood, Heifer International, or any of your favorite animal charities would be appreciated.
May you forever live in the stars my friend. I am happy you were a part of my life, I am a better perspn for knowing you. May the Force guide you to those who have gone before, I will see you again someday. Love, E
Lisa my friend. We met in 10th grade sharing a locker with Heather and that started a wonderful friendship that has withstood all life threw at us and many happy occasions that kept us refreshed. I will miss your kindness and generosity. You were one of a kind. I hope you have found Shadow and all those critters that went before him. May the force lift you up and be with you always.
All your beloved pets will be there for you across the Rainbow bridge. Rest easy sweet Lisa.
She will be missed. My daughter Shannon loved her so much
The ripples created by your loss move far beyond what you could have imagined. Rest well Lisa and shine on those left behind.
We’ve known Lisa for many, many years. We were not close but we knew her through Judine and Terry and knew how important she was to the whole family. She will be missed by many. Be at peace, Lisa.
Sending loving thoughts from across the ocean to all of you. Lisa will definitely be missed but will forever be in your hearts. God Bless all of you.
Our hearts go out to your family. Remembering Lisa’s kind, generous and caring soul.
Lisa, you are a kind and gentle soul whose time it was to move on. I will miss your presence in my life. You were a great friend and colleague. Waldenbooks became my family during my years in Seattle. From that family you arose as one of my closest sisters. Through the years of working side by side, I learned a lot about you. I always think of you during thunderstorms, and we have a lot of those here, unlike in Puget Sound. I will treasure our friendship and the many conversations we had. I’m glad our friendship continued beyond Waldenbooks. Soar through the universe like the shining soul you are. You are free now.