Lisa Ann McMurray

You are very much missed, Lisa! <3

The video is beautiful. Thank you for sharing Lisa's life with us.

I was a co-worker of Lisa, she was a rare soul and truly enjoyed her sense of humor. Our hearts go out to her family. She will be remembered and loved.

I met Lisa about a year-and-a-half ago at a local Coming to the Table sponsored event. She was the founder of our local L.A. Coming to the Table chapter and was like our doting den mother. Lisa attended to the many administrative details that always needed to be done for our little group. She took good care of us.

From the very beginning, Lisa welcomed me with warmth and obvious sincerity. In getting to know her over time, I got to know a human being who was very passionately committed to justice. Lisa was a person who wanted to right wrongs. In the context of her work with Coming to the Table, she wanted to right the wrong of racism specifically, and worked tirelessly to do her part toward that end. Lisa saw very clearly how the racism of the American past continues to significantly impact our racial present. She was keenly aware of how very painful present-day racism is to Americans of Color, particularly the "daily indignities" which I and millions of other Americans-of-Color regularly experience - being followed while shopping, being stopped by law enforcement for no reason, and living with the subtle racism of low expectations, among many others. Although it was not her experience, Lisa had empathy. She got it....and she genuinely and very deeply cared. For that, I will always deeply respect and greatly admire her.

Those of us in the Los Angeles Coming to the Table group are feeling lost right now without Lisa, but we know that she will continue to support and guide us. So.....we will carry on our work, as we must, for Lisa would have it no other way. We will do it for it's own importance, and we will do it to honor Lisa.

Lisa gave birth to us. She launched us and thus, is the wind beneath our wings. She will always remain in our hearts, remembered with much love and sincere gratitude.

Lisa, I know that you were a person of conscience who deeply cared about many issues. I am grateful to have met you within the context of the issue on which we work in Coming to the Table. You are sorely missed. Happy Trails my friend, until I see you again. Lauren

Lisa, you were a dear friend. Brilliantly smart, passionate about causes, and loving to all around you. Such a great sense of humor. We would laugh about so many things. You will be missed. RIP my friend.

Bless you Lisa. You made a difference in this world. Thank you for your good good heart and deep thoughtfulness.

I just love Lisa. I've always admired her fierce intelligence, her bawdy sense of humor, and her sense of civic responsibility. One of my favorite memories of Lisa was when she dressed as Marilyn Monroe for a Hoover dance. She had Marilyn's smile and mannerisms down to a "T", and she rocked that red dress! I will dearly miss Lisa and that contagious laugh of hers. She will remain in my heart.

Lisa and I would bust out laughing every time we talked on the phone. She'd call to tell me that yet another erroneous inter-office mail delivery had been sent to her instead of me. I'll miss her laughter.
Dear Lisa, may flights of Angels sing thee to thy rest.
Yvonne Guerra (Glendale City Hall)

I have such fond memories of Lisa and Karin when we were little girls. I lost touch with her many years ago, but it sounds like she was passionate about her causes, and loved helping others. I know she was loved by many and will be missed.
God bless her and may she rest in peace.
My thoughts and prayers to Debbie & Jim

I think back on when the girls were little. Elementary School, Toll, Hoover then off to college. How she blossomed over the years. She was like my other daughter! Talking to Lisa recently, she was so helpful for the Glendale Community Free Clinic. She was a wealth of knowledge. She always was there to help others. My heart broke the night I found out that she was no longer with us, but Lisa will always be with us in spirit.

How Do I Love Thee?

by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of every day's
Most quiet need, by sun and candlelight.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love with a passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints, -- I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life! -- and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.

I first met Lisa at the National Gathering for Coming to the Table (www.comingtothetable.org) in Richmond, Virginia in March 2012. She was passionately committed to working toward the healing of wounds from racism. She freely gave her time and energy to the hard work of social justice and racial reconciliation. She started the Southern California Local Group of Coming to the Table that meets monthly in Pasadena. We'll all miss you, Lisa, and none more than your friends and colleagues in the CTTT group you started. Thank you for your friendship and for your good work. Bless you always.

What we have once enjoyed
we can never lose;
All that we love deeply,
becomes a part of us.

- Helen Keller