Lisa Chilson

Lisa Chilson

AGE: 58 • Virginia Beach, VA

Lisa Chilson passed away peacefully in a residential hospice home in Virginia Beach, VA on the morning of August 12, 2014 following a courageous seven year battle with cancer. Lisa was surrounded by family and loved ones on her final journey. Lisa was born in Somerville, NJ on May 15, 1956. She was the third child, and second daughter, of Betty and Ralph Condo, who were with Lisa in her final days. Lisa embarked on her life's defining purpose - caring for others - when she obtained her BS RN degree from Wilkes College, and began her career in nursing. Lisa fulfilled that purpose for more than 30 years; first as a floor nurse in cardiac care, later as a Nurse/Teacher assisting new nurses, before concluding with the position of Senior Clinical Analyst with the Clinical Documentation Team of Sentara Healthcare, where she was instrumental in the development and implementation of the Epic software application which provided all Sentara nursing staff with paperless documentation to elevate patient care. Lisa was blessed with an indomitable spirit. That spirit was most evident during her valiant battle with cancer. After being diagnosed and while still undergoing treatment, Lisa continued with her work at Sentara and even completed the requirements for and received her Masters Degree. Caring for others became an even greater passion for Lisa as she gave birth to her three children; the oldest, her daughter, Michele, followed by her sons Clifford and then Nathan. Lisa's circle of love expanded further to include her four grandchildren, Brandon, Lauren, Karly and Kendall.

Lisa's family; her parents, brother, Jim, sister, Carol, but most importantly her three children, mattered most to Lisa. For her children, Lisa was a tenacious protector and devoted cheerleader. Lisa celebrated the joy in each success of her children and she soothed their hurts from each setback. The moments that she spent with her children and grandchildren were priceless. She could often be found on a weekend camping with family in the Blue Ridge Mountains or on the beaches of North Carolina. Lisa always relished the next challenge and the next great adventure, and she lived to share those with her children.

Throughout her life, Lisa enjoyed nothing more than her visits to the Jersey Shore where she would sit for hours talking, eating and napping on the front porch of her parents' beachfront home. And, it was to the beach house and her parents that Lisa returned to for a brief respite before her final hospitalization.

For sheer joy, a close second to her time at the Jersey Shore were her frequent visits to her sister Carol and her husband, Tom Cairns', home in the beautiful countryside of western North Carolina. The sisters were very close. From the very first design of the house, Carol and Tom had planned for "Lisa's Room" - a bedroom which Lisa decorated and where she would always stay when visiting. As the house was being built, Lisa, often joined by her youngest son, Nathan, would spend long weekends with Carol and Tom meticulously painting the interior house trim.

The family has planned a small grave-side celebration for Lisa at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 30, 2014 at the Neshanic Cemetery, Amwell Road, Hillsborough, NJ. Funeral arrangements are being handled by Cusick Funeral Home, Somerville, NJ. The family requests that in lieu of flowers a donation be made to either the (1) Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma Research Foundation (www.accrf/org) or (2) The V Foundation for Cancer Research (www.jimmyv.org).