Lisa Virginia Zakula

Lisa Virginia Zakula, age 70, of Edina, passed peacefully on September 3, 2024 after a courageous two year battle with glioblastoma. She is survived by her loving husband of 44 years, Dr. Michael; children, Linden Zakula (Alexandra Fetissoff), Kellen Zakula (John Stoddard); grandchildren, Luca and Colette; sister, Dr. Lindsey Grossman (Dr. Neil); other relatives and friends. Lisa's life was guided by her desire to enrich the lives of those around her. She found beauty in the everyday-the lines of a chair, the satiny transformation of egg whites into a meringue, the merging of colors in a quilt-and sought to bring that beauty to others. After leaving her hometown of Pittsburgh, Lisa graduated from the University of West Virginia with a degree in nursing. Lisa found her calling in caring for others, first at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, VA, then Crawford-Long Hospital in Atlanta, GA and finally at Mesabi Regional Medical Center in Hibbing, Minnesota. After retiring from nursing, Lisa found new ways to serve her community and creative pursuits - writing grants to bring the arts to local schools, sewing costumes for her sons' performing arts group, and serving on the board of the Duluth Superior Orchestra. All this while helping manage her husband's orthodontic practice in between interruptions to bring her boys to the emergency room for their latest set of stitches or to render a verdict in the latest sibling dispute. Lisa loved music and dance. She generously gave of her time and leveraged her sheer determination to bring music and the arts to rural classrooms - providing kids a trailhead for their imagination, a portal to another universe, and the ability to pause and see the beauty we too often overlook. Cooking was one of Lisa's favorite pastimes. She treated friends, family, and strangers alike to incredible (and always beautiful) meals. Food was not just an outlet for her pursuit of perfection, but one of the many ways she expressed her love. Her creativity, sense of style, and meticulousness were also on full display in the many quilts she sewed - quilts that have provided her friends and family an excuse to snuggle and a soft space for her grandchildren to crawl. They will carry her warmth with them for years to come. To know Lisa was to know someone who wore their heart on their sleeve (for better or for worse!), who gave of her time, who gave her husband her love, and who taught her children how to make their own path in life. These gifts will extend far beyond her life that was tragically cut short. A memorial service/celebration of life will be held at 11 AM Thursday, September 19 with visitation beginning at 10 AM at Washburn McReavy Edina Chapel, 5000 W. 50th St. Edina. Following the service a reception will be held. In lieu of flowers, financial contributions in memory of Lisa can be made to Little Hospice in Edina, Minnesota. www.washburn-mcreavy.com Edina Chapel 952-920-3996

Tributes

Lisa Virginia Zakula

August 14, 1954 - September 3, 2024

Tributes

Lisa Virginia Zakula

August 14, 1954 - September 3, 2024

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