Lisa Dale "née Straub" Lotspeich

Lisa Dale Lotspeich (née Straub), 62, of Virginia Beach, passed away Thursday morning, July 17, 2025, at Rosemont Health and Rehab after a courageous and nearly unimaginable 30-year journey with cancer. She faced five battles with the disease-overcoming four-and met each with grace, determination, and an unshakable will to live.

Born at Portsmouth Naval Hospital on August 20, 1962, Lisa was the beloved daughter of Robert Dale Straub and Nancy Inez Mills. She is preceded in death by her mother and is survived by her father, Robert Straub of Virginia Beach; daughter, Laura L. McDaniel (Josh) and granddaughters Darylin, Delaina, Evangeline, and Nora of Katy, TX; son, Robert L. Lotspeich of Katy, TX; brother, Scott L. Straub (Marie) of Winchester, VA; nieces, Danielle M. Skiles of Elgin, SC and Kathryn S. Helbock (Sean) of Martinsburg, WV; aunt, Harriett A. Darst of Lynchburg, VA; and her lifelong best friend, Rita L. Marshall of Virginia Beach.

Growing up, Lisa lived in various places due to her father's service in the Navy, including Portsmouth, VA; Jacksonville, FL; Sigonella, Sicily; and Albany, GA before settling in Virginia Beach. She graduated, class of 1980, from Princess Anne High School.

Lisa married Donald J. Lotspeich, Jr. in 1982. She welcomed her daughter in 1983 and her son in 1991-the joys of her life. Later, she divorced and moved with her children to Winchester, VA for a short time, with the support of her brother. While there, she graduated Summa Cum Laude from Lord Fairfax Community College (Middletown, VA), class of 1999, and continued her education at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA.

She was a self taught artist most passionate about painting and photography, loving to capture nature scenes-the beach especially. She also worked as an administrative assistant for a law firm in SC, a secretary for Shenandoah University in Winchester and later in commercial construction in Virginia Beach.

But far beyond the walls of traditional learning and job titles, Lisa's truest work was found in her perseverance, her will, and her fierce love for her family. She believed in the sacredness of time spent with loved ones.

Lisa endured more than most will ever understand. She raised two children (one with Arnold Chiari Syndrome) as a single mother, often facing poverty and housing insecurity. She also suffered from relentless physical and mental illnesses-battling cancer, bipolar disorder, manic depression, and schizophrenia-conditions that might have silenced someone else's spirit, but not hers. Through every trial, she showed up with laughter, kindness, creativity, and a wild, radiant soul.

She taught her children to speak truth without shame, to confront life without fear, and to find beauty in the smallest of moments. She was the kind of mother who turned a 7-Eleven Slurpee run into an adventure, cranked the car radio loud enough to feel it, and took long drives just to watch the sky change colors. She also taught them that survival is not always loud or praised–sometimes it is quiet or unseen, but still no less heroic.

Lisa was nothing short of miraculous. She didn't just endure, she transcended-a goddess in her own right-a quiet force of nature, and a warrior of the spirit. She viewed the afterlife as a reunion-where her soul would finally be free and at peace-and we believe she is there now, received by the heavens she always dreamed under. We do not merely mourn her passing-we celebrate her life, her fight, her fire, her faith, and her love. Her family will carry her story forward with pride and awe, as proof of what true strength looks like.