Larry Lisenbee

1948 - 2021

Larry Lisenbee
June 28, 1948 - June 11, 2021
Resident of San Jose, CA
Larry Lisenbee, a long-time resident of Willow Glen and the former Budget Director for the City of San Jose, passed away on June 11, 2021 at the age of 72 after a short illness.
Larry is survived by his children, Jeffrey, Michael, and David Lisenbee; his sister Linda and brother Robert; grandchildren Gabriela, Luna, and Sofia Lisenbee; and a large extended Lisenbee family.
Larry was born in Oildale, California to Owen Lisenbee and Mable Lisenbee (nee Hollaway). He spent his childhood in McFarland, California. Larry's father had a small farm and Larry helped work the land there as a young man. He could often be seen covered in dust climbing down off of a tractor at the end of a hot summer day.
Larry graduated at the top of his high school class before starting his collegiate life at Bakersfield Junior College. Larry completed his undergraduate studies at San Jose State University and went on to earn his Masters degree from UCLA. After graduation, Larry returned to the Bay Area and began working for the Santa Clara County Health Department as an educator. It was through this work that he met his beloved wife Doris, a PhD psychologist who was the director of a nonprofit community health clinic. Doris and Larry married in San Jose in 1980.
In 1986, Larry took a job in the San Jose City Manager's Budget Office. He quickly rose through the ranks and became Budget Director, a position he held for over 20 years. He was known as a strategic thinker, creative problem solver, and a leader who could anticipate and navigate the most impossible of budget challenges, always having the City organization's and community's best interest at heart. He was beloved by his staff, serving as a mentor to so many, and he created deep friendships that have lasted well beyond his retirement in 2007. After retirement, Larry worked as a consultant for numerous cities in and around the Bay Area, including the City of Stockton, which he helped recover from the financial crisis following the Great Recession. He spent the remainder of his post-retirement life devoted to his wife Doris and her work with the Silicon Valley Holocaust Remembrance Association.
A lifelong sports fan, Larry could always be found at local sporting events and was a season ticket holder to the San Jose Sharks, San Jose Earthquakes, and San Jose State Football. Some of his sons' earliest memories are of attending sporting events with their dad. Having grown up in southern California and being a UCLA alumni, Larry was also a fan of any UCLA sports team, the Lakers, and unfortunately for his family of Giants fans, the Dodgers. Larry's love for sports rubbed off on his three sons and wife Doris, even if his choice of teams did not.
Larry was a devoted father to his three sons, whom he considered his pride and joy. Despite the long hours and devotion to his job, Larry never missed his sons' sports games. All three sons fondly remember Larry packing the car to the brim and driving the family to weekend soccer tournaments all over California. Even during the all too frequent 8:00 a.m. games, Larry could always be found on the sidelines cheering on his sons. And on weekdays after his sons completed evening sports practices, Larry would then spend hours checking their homework for correct grammar and spelling. As important as sports were to Larry, nothing came above education and guiding his three sons to work hard and excel in school. Successful report cards for his sons still hang on the walls of the family home to this day.
Larry will be remembered for his kind heart, affable personality, dedication to and love for his children and wife Doris, professional success and leadership, and the full life he lived. He leaves behind a rich and everlasting legacy, and his family and friends will miss him dearly.


View the online memorial for Larry Lisenbee