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Barbara Ann Lisi Pavlovic - Class of 1958

Submitted by Bill Norvell 1965 <w.norvell@att.net> on 14/Sep/2025
173.169.104.36

  Barbara Ann Lisi Pavlovic, a resident of Concord, California passed into rest on July 24, peacefully in her sleep after a three-week bout of pneumonia. Her son, daughter-in-law and beloved grandchildren spent all of July by her side. She was 84.

Born in Newburgh, New York, in 1940, to Joseph and Shirley (McPhillips) Lisi, Barbara met her husband Robert (Bobby) in high school at Newburgh Free Academy in New York where they both wrote for the school newspaper and graduated in 1958.

After graduating third in her class from Ladycliff College, Barbara began a lifelong career in education initially teaching English at South Junior High School in Newburgh. Robert and Barbara married in 1967 and moved to Concord in 1971 where they both remained until their passing.

In California, Barb taught at Foundation College, Sylvan Learning, and The Drake House for Girls, and also provided private tutoring. Later she became a volunteer extraordinaire at Ben and Nicole's public relations firm serving as expert proofreader on many press releases. Always eager to help her children and to discover something new, she truly enjoyed learning about all of their techy clients.

Barbara spent years volunteering at De La Salle High School, her son's alma mater. And while Robert served as League President for the Concord Continental Little League and Commish of the Mt. Diablo Soccer Association, Barb was behind the scenes doing equally important work scheduling the referees, umps, writing the newsletters and more. Barbara was tremendously involved in her son's schooling and sports, exposing him to everything from piano, Space Camp, soccer, baseball, basketball and even fencing. Writing was a passion that Barb passed on to her son. She was popping her buttons when he earned a master's in journalism at Boston University. Ben was her miracle, she would say.

She was incredibly proud of Ben and his wife Nicole whom she treated as her own. And she loved her grandchildren Sofia and Luca “more than the heart could hold.� She adored getting daily videos and calls and was enjoying spoiling them immensely while watching them grow and flourish.

Barbara was an avid reader and had the library and knowledge to prove it. Twain and the classics were her favorites, but she devoured everything including all of the great poets. She was the smartest person in the room but would never let you know it. She joyfully excelled at cooking and baking. Her meatballs, fried chicken, famous cheesecake, lemon poppy seed cake and sour cream coffee cake recipes will remain cherished family traditions. She never hosted lightly, she'd put out a spread that could feed an army, and it was always delicious.

Barbara always put others first, especially her family and friends. She worried deeply about everyone and wanted everyone to be happy. She campaigned tirelessly for her hero, President John F. Kennedy in the 1960 presidential election. She found peace by the ocean. She loved the music of Ella Fitzgerald, Barbra Streisand, Nat King Cole, and Johnny Mathis. Phantom of the Opera remained one of her most treasured theatre experiences and she adored the classic Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals like South Pacific, The King and I, and The Sound of Music.

Children's organizations such as Boys Town and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital were important charities to Barbara. She also gave regularly to Wounded Warriors, PBS and the Smithsonian Institution.

Barbara is predeceased by her loving husband Robert Pavlovic whom she missed terribly. She is survived by her son Benjamin and daughter-in-law Nicole (Coco) Pavlovic, her precious cherub grandchildren Sofia and Luca, and their faithful golden retriever Leo, all of San Clemente, California. She is also survived by her baby brother Paul Lisi and his wife Barbara of Lansing, New York, and her nephew Joseph Lisi and his wife Traci of Lansing, New York. She leaves behind six godchildren and too many cousins to name.

Robert and Barbara’s ashes were released into the Atlantic Ocean a few miles off the coast of Cape Cod in Chatham, Massachusetts with the Chatham Lighthouse in view. A fitting farewell for a woman who loved lighthouses, too.

She will always be remembered for her unwavering support of those she loved. To her son and daughter-in-law, she was a steady source of strength, always encouraging them to see the world, take chances, dream big, and embrace life with courage. Ben, Coco, Sofia and Luca know that if they “are ever feeling lost, second star to the right, and straight on til morning� will guide them home. Il pleure dans mon cur.
Published in: East Bay Times from September 14, 2025