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.