Lisa M. Perricone, 60, of Milton passed away January 24, 2025 surrounded by her loving family.

After Title IX paved the way for girls to play Little League, 12-year old Lisa Perricone put on a uniform and played with the boys. Years later she drove with her daughter through a snowstorm to watch her beloved University of South Carolina women’s basketball team, the Gamecocks, play against their rival, UConn. Lisa did nothing halfway, including sports, baking, working, and raising her daughters. Warmed in her Philadelphia Eagles blanket and the love of her family, Lisa Marie Perricone passed away on January 24, 2025 at age 60.

Born in Philadelphia, Lisa graduated from Upper Moreland High School in Willow Grove, PA. She had a great softball arm and pitched in a local league and swam for the Upper Moreland Swim Team. She also enjoyed basketball and was a soccer goalie, her most passionate sport. Later on, she coached Sara and Vivi’s soccer teams, assigning them drills and rewarding a well-played season with home homemade whoopie pies. When it came to professional sports, for Lisa, it was Eagles, Phillies and 76’ers all the way.

Lisa earned her Bachelors in Marketing-Quantitative Analysis from LaSalle University, where she was a member of the Phi Gamma Nu, a sorority for women pursuing studies in business, and a Master’s in Organizational Design and Management from the University of Pennsylvania. She went on to become a senior human resources professional specializing in compensation for several companies including Fortune 100 and Fortune 500 Fidelity, Liberty Mutual and Takeda Pharmaceuticals. Working in global firms, Lisa lived in London for a time, and loved that she often had the chance to travel (her passion) and interact, professionally and personally, with colleagues from around the world.

Lisa developed her enthusiasm for travel after her sister, Linda, took her on a three-week trip to Europe when Lisa was 19. Years later, in 2023, with Linda living in Lake Como, Italy, the two went to discover their family roots in Sicily. Lisa flew the Sicilian flag over her home in Milton and learned Italian with the goal of obtaining her Italian Citizenship, which was finally granted to her and her daughters one day after she passed away.

Having grown up in a household that experienced some early hardship, Lisa was intentional about family. She made up a sweet lullaby “Hola Sarita” to sing to her new baby, Sara. After Lisa and her first wife, Liz, met while Lisa was still living in South Carolina, she arranged for a transfer to Boston through her employer, and made a good impression on Liz’s friends and family. They welcomed her with open arms and became her community. Lisa’s baking warmed her to many, and through it she connected and expressed love. Several years later, Liz and Lisa were married and, with their toddler daughters Sara and Viviana, formed a family, first living in Roslindale and then in Milton.

Lisa was curious and a student of the world. She listened to the BBC, NPR, and MSNBC day and night. She was also a conversationalist and loved to learn and try new things. Over the years, she participated in a women’s singing group, Jute Gaia, enjoyed spending time with a drumming group, played community basketball, ran 5k’s and duathlons, and was an avid podcast listener. Raised Catholic, Lisa was a student of and practiced Buddhism. She volunteered for AIDS Action in Philadelphia and helped cook meals for community members. Having learned to bake with her mom, Lisa was hired as a baker at a Jewish deli in Philly, which endeared her to her families of marriage later on. Babkas, challahs and kugels were specialties, and it was not Thanksgiving without Lisa’s exceptional Pear Tart.

Raising her girls, Lisa ran a tight ship that was filled with love, laughs and pranks. Questions were well-researched, finding one’s own path was encouraged, and safety and self-care were prioritized. When the girls were away at camp, Lisa sent them pictures of their “stuffies” in precarious and hilarious situations. Friday nights were for sushi and “Modern Family;” late summers were for stays on the Cape with friends and Liz’s brother Doug and his family.

After caring lovingly for Liz through her long struggle with cancer, Lisa remade her life. She went on a solo trip to the Azores, seeking solace. When she came home, she met Stacy Godnick, who she would marry in July 2024. Together, Lisa and Stacy coached and cheered each other on in duathlons and triathlons, and found beauty and harmony in their walks on the beach, bike rides, and family. They melded as one behind the now young women Sara and Vivi, and filled their house with three long-haired cats and the family’s beloved pooch, Nukka.

Lisa forged her own journey with cancer with the hard work, mental and physical fortitude, and hope with which she took on every aspect of her life. She listened to the soothing music of her favorite R&B artist, Robert Glasper, and developed a deep friendship with him when he replied to a post she made on his Instagram account during radiation treatment. Lisa found fellowship with a community of dear friends who will continue to lift up her family forever.

Lisa was preceded in death by her parents, Frank and Adeline Perricone, her brother, Frank J. Perricone, her first wife Elizabeth Schwarz, her sister-in-law Beth Marcus, and her best friend Barbara Mastrolia. She is survived by her wife, Stacy Godnick; her beloved daughters Sara Perricone and Viviana Schwarz; sister Linda Hammerle and husband Erich; nephew Nick Hammerle, brother-in-law Doug Schwarz, nephew Marcus Schwarz (wife Emma; great nephews Sol and Judah), niece Julia Schwarz (husband Chris; great niece Eliza), sister-in-law Jenny Godnick (wife Deb), brother in-law Michael Godnick, mother in-law, Sherley Godnick, and many other cousins and numerous loving friends.

Lisa’s family shares its gratitude with the staff at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Spaulding Rehab, Dana Farber Cancer Center, Standish Village Assisted Living, Esther from The Key Home Care, and Good Shepherd Hospice.

A Celebration of Life will be held at First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church, 382 Walnut Street, Brookline, MA 02445 on Saturday, February 8 at 10:00 AM. Family and friends invited. A reception will follow.

In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made in memory of Lisa to: The Kurukulla Center for Tibetan Buddhist Studies where Lisa was a member. Send checks to 68 Magoun Ave, Medford, MA, 02155. Or to Dr. David Reardon's Research Fund at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, P.O. Box 849168, Boston, MA 02284. Please write checks to Dana-Farber and include Dr. Reardon's Fund in the memo section. To give online, please visit www.dfci.org/give or by phone at 617-632-3019.