Lisa Joanne Ziegler

Lisa Joanne Ziegler, 62, passed away peacefully in her home in Tarpon Springs, Florida, surrounded by her four children, on December 20th, 2025. Her memorial mass will be held at St. Pius X Catholic Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Saturday, January 31st, 2026, at 1:00 p.m., following interment at Calvary Cemetery. A reception in Dorney Hall will immediately follow the mass. A vigil prayer service will also be held on Friday, January 30th, at 4:00 p.m., at St. Pius X. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Catholic Charities of Tulsa. Lisa was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma on August 19th, 1963 to Joseph and Joyce Ziegler. She attended St. Pius X, Bishop Kelley, and Oklahoma State University. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Journalism and Public Relations. In 1991, on a blind date set up by mutual friends, Lisa met the love of her life, Gary Holder. They quickly bonded over their love of dogs, active lifestyles, and shared life goals. At each major stage of their blossoming relationship, Lisa received a stanza of an original love poem from Gary: when he asked her to marry him; when he presented her with her wedding ring; when they shared their wedding vows at the altar; and when their first child, Beverly, was born. Lisa and Gary raised four wonderful children together, embracing an active lifestyle and a love of shared family hobbies, from practicing Transcendental Meditation, playing soccer, and learning Taekwondo to raising backyard chickens and gardening together. Lisa was also a proud Boy Scout mom for her son Paul's troop, chaperoning many camping trips and pinewood derbies. Lisa and Gary always encouraged their children to pursue their passions and were proud of their many achievements. Lisa and Gary were deeply in love, and their marriage modeled a devoted relationship filled with teamwork, friendship, whimsy, and compassion. They considered themselves to be "soulmates for eternity." In 2013, Lisa and Gary opened their hearts and their family when they learned that Gary had an adult son. After meeting Jef and his wife, Liz, they quickly bonded, became a part of the family, and fell in love with their children. Lisa cherished the time she was able to spend with her three grandchildren from Jef and Liz. After losing Gary unexpectedly in 2015, Lisa supported her four children as they graduated from high school and college, cheered them on as they built the beginnings of their careers, and encouraged them as they pursued their passions across the country and world. In September 2025, Lisa's grandson, Benjamin Gary Hughes, was born. Lisa had the joy of being present during his birth, helping to welcome him into the world. She then spent time with him and her eldest daughter, Beverly, during his first week of life in St. Louis, during which she joyfully declared herself to be "Grandmama Lisa." Lisa was a dynamic, hardworking professional who embraced life with energy and purpose, building success across many careers. Her professional journey included photography, work at United Video, petroleum land management, cellphone tower lease consulting, and real estate as an agent, broker, investor, and residential property owner and manager. At United Video, inspired by her father, she started and ran a chapter of Toastmasters. She championed as the president, and later inspired her close niece, Jackie, to join her own local Toastmasters. Lisa later began her real estate career under the tutelage of Doug Horton. They worked together for many years, helping countless Tulsa families buy and sell their homes and forming genuine relationships throughout. Lisa and Doug worked seamlessly as a team, and he became a grandfather figure to her children. Lisa and Gary later started a small real estate investment company, Sandalwood Properties, in which they bought, remodeled, and sold or leased residential properties. They were honored with a Historic Preservation Award for work completed at a Craftsman Bungalow and carriage house residence in the Heights Historic District in Tulsa. Lisa was passionate about capturing life's moments through photography, whether serving as an official photographer on the sidelines of OSU football games, photographing weddings in her twenties, documenting the beauty of nature in Colorado, or capturing live action shots of her children at soccer games. Lisa and Gary were animal lovers and rescued hundreds of animals. This included many dobermans, greyhounds, and a very special blue heeler named Mingo. In Tulsa, they cared for all kinds of pets, including chickens, mice, birds, a chinchilla, and a tarantula. Over the past several years, Lisa loved fostering kittens with her daughters, Alana and Catherine. Her father, Joe Ziegler, instilled a love of sailing in Lisa when she was young. She reignited that love when she and Gary started sailing with their kids at Lake Oolagah, where they docked their Catalina and were members of Spindrift Sailing Club. Many weekends and summer days were spent at the lake on their boat or crewing on a fellow sailor's boat thanks to this hobby. Lisa enjoyed staying active and loved to travel. A lifelong swimmer, she also enjoyed hiking, cycling, yoga, and she prioritized sunset walks. Some of her most treasured adventures included chaperoning for a youth trip to Medjugorje in her twenties, where she fostered a deep devotion to the Blessed Mother; travels with her children to Europe, East Africa, Yellowstone, Vermont, Colorado, and Key West; and visits to her children's homes in St. Louis, Kansas City, San Francisco, and Baton Rouge. Lisa always cheerfully bragged that she had more first cousins than the main character in My Big Fat Greek Wedding. She took great pride in being the family historian, with an uncanny memory for names, faces, and connections. Once, at a university awards luncheon for one of her children, she bumped into a distant cousin and immediately recognized him, effortlessly recalling his exact place in the family tree. Lisa had the gift of learning any stranger's life story. Her children often mistook the stranger as one of their mother's old friends, only to later learn that she had never met the person. Strangers all around the world recognized Lisa's kind and understanding nature and warmly shared their personal journeys with her, be it in the grocery store line or on the hiking trail. Lisa was a lifelong Catholic. She had an inspiring unconditional love for her family and friends, wishing peace to everyone, even in her last days. Lisa had a strong faith that inspired and influenced family members to also share in that faith. She deeply admired the Blessed Mother Mary and was a champion for the unborn. Lisa fought breast cancer three times in her life. She was diagnosed in 2002, in 2017, and in 2019. She never wanted to be defined by her cancer. She had a positive and determined attitude that many doctors admired. After her first diagnosis in 2002, she adopted the mantra "It's great to be alive." She was incredibly resilient and found joy in life despite the countless challenges that she faced. Lisa spent her last years living in beautiful Tarpon Springs, Florida, where she loved to watch stunning sunsets, walk by the bayou and look for manatees, swim in her pool, go to yoga, enjoy the occasional boat ride or kayak outing, and spend time with her family. Lisa was witty, wise, and perceptive, and she faced every challenge with courage, selflessness, and optimism. She was a beloved daughter, sister, cousin, aunt, wife, mother, and grandmama, a respected role model, a cherished confidant, and a dear friend to many. She made those who had the privilege of knowing her feel understood and loved in her presence, and she radiated joy and zest for life. Lisa is now reunited in heaven with her husband, Gary Ziegler (Holder), and her parents, Joyce and Joseph Ziegler. She is survived by her children, Beverly Hughes (Ziegler) and her husband Paul Hughes, and their son Benjamin Hughes; Paul Ziegler; Alana Ziegler; and Catherine Ziegler. She also leaves her stepson Jeffery Flowers and his wife Elizabeth Flowers, and their children Maya, William, and Gary Allen Kahenya Flowers. Her sisters, Jody Whitsett and Jane Snedden, and their families, as well as her many nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews, more than thirty beloved first cousins, and her cherished cats, Luna, Lola, and Ziggy, will carry her memory with love.

Lisa Joanne Ziegler

August 19, 1963 - December 20, 2025