Lisa Maria Waite, 60, passed away Wednesday, May 18th at Hoffmann Hospice Home Care due to her 16-month battle with peritoneal cancer.
Lisa was born June 15, 1961 in Lexington, North Carolina to William Charles and Hilda Mae Wilson. Her family moved to Spanish Fork, Utah when Lisa was a teenager where she excelled in gymnastics. Upon graduation from high school, Lisa attended Snow Jr. College in Ephraim, Utah. Following her two years there she then transferred to Brigham Young University in Provo where she met her future husband, Jim Waite. They were then married in the LDS Los Angeles Temple on August 13, 1982. In December, 1983 she graduated from Brigham Young University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education, which would prove to be beneficial in the years to come raising ten children.
A member of the LDS church, Lisa held different callings: Sunday School teacher, Young Women’s Leader, Relief Society leader, and Primary teacher. She also enjoyed doing family history and do vicarious work for ancestors. Lisa always had the gift of discernment, oftentimes knowing things before they happened. This would often spoil surprises that Jim would often plan for her.
She had a passion for photography and created many beautiful portraits which resembled paintings rather than photographs. In her later years, Lisa became a NASM Certified Personal trainer and helped many to get physically fit. She always enjoyed helping and serving others, oftentimes going the extra mile without expecting anything in return. Lisa left a legacy of love, compassion and service and will be greatly missed.
Lisa is preceded in death by her parents and is survived by her husband, Jim, and their ten children: Heather (Neil), Jason, Michael, Cory (Cheryl), Justin, Devin, Kristen (Bryson) Mills, Tyler, Hailey and Ethan and her five grandchildren Brogan, Brayden, Brenton, Baylee, and Cylee.
Funeral services will be held at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 9900 White Oak Dr, Bakersfield, CA, at 10am on June 1st with Interment to follow at Greenlawn Cemetery, 3700 River Blvd. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to Hoffmann Hospice at www.hoffmannhospice.org