About

Born in Lebanon…

Liza and her family immigrated to the United States when she was a child to avoid the civil war in the 1970s. The family settled in Richmond, Virginia, where Liza spent most of her childhood and the early years of her adult life.

Liza graduated VCU with a degree in statistics, plus additional masters-level mathematics coursework. She put her education to practical use as a business analyst in software testing and support, where her organizational skills and persistence flourished. Later, she completed the coursework for an accounting certificate and focused her career on financial software systems.

Growing up, Liza and her sister Arpi were very close, when one was causing a ruckus the other was not far behind. They shared everything, including the blame when they got in trouble. Liza was protective of her younger sister and also equity-minded; their father once found them quietly sitting on floor with Liza distributing aspirin pills equally: "one for you, one for me" (fortunately a quick consultation with a doctor neighbor and a few cups of milk resolved the issue without further drama). Liza was the studious one and helped Arpi with class assignments. Which, of course, inspired Arpi to find creative ways to get Liza to play. They shared a bond often reserved for twins.

Liza was very fond of her younger cousins. She also helped Serar with homework, for example, and even managed to make math less than excruciating. One of her pro tricks was positive reinforcement, where the mere attempt to do math homework was followed up with a trip to Tower Records or Wet Seal or another favorite store, and munching on some chicken nuggets. An early example of Liza's sophisticated tastes included season passes to the opera, events that she shared with her cousins, which on occasions demanded Herculean effort to sit through (”OK, we paid for these tickets, we need to stay and finish it. You want cheesecake?"). She was also an aficianado of pop culture, and helped introduce her sister and cousins to skimpy shorts, rap music, and other evils. We suspect she took a little glee in being the cool older cousin and more than once was guilty of "corrupting" the younger ones.

Liza had a passion for fashion, her favorite hobby which she pursued with gusto. Ever the practical one, she diligently tracked items to get a sale price or a post-facto adjustment; after all, prudent spending meant more clothes. She gravitated towards the younger, hipper items and loved the sass that they embody, but she also appreciated the refined, sophisticated look when the occasion called for it. Through relentless, heroic effort, she was even able to effect some change in her husband's shopping habits, much to the chagrin of the Sears Men's Department; the world is better for it. In 2011, Liza organized a shopping event for some online fans of Anthropologie. The Santa Monica location gave the group a private shopping event and even treated the gals to a continental breakfast.

Liza was a big fan of the Washington Redskins, Capitals, and Nats. In her younger days, she would watch Redskins games with her big foam finger and yell and scream at the TV. After marrying Aaron, her enthusiasm was rekindled, though refined to forego the foam finger. For a period, they lived in Ashburn near the Redskins practice field, and got a kick out of occasionally encountered players in day to day activities. They attended the occasional Caps and Nats games, and caught a few highlights: they saw Alex Ovechkin get a hat trick and Bryce Harper hit three homers in a single game, and they endured every moment of the record-setting 18-inning playoff loss to the SF Giants.

In her greatest personal battle, Liza was a model patient and she inspired her medical team with her preparedness, her knowledge of her treatment options, and her determination to scour the country to leave no stone unturned. We can be assured that losing the battle was not for lack of resources or access to excellent medical care.

Liza had the most beautiful smile that could light up your soul. She will be our candle for eternity.