Thursday, January 3, 2013

2:00pm at Severna Park United Methodist Church

731 Benfield Road

Severna Park, Maryland 21146

Reception immediately following service in the Fellowship Hall

Dear Family and Friends,

We will celebrate the life of Elizabeth Banks Lisle, M.B.A., who passed away on December 10, 2012. She will be remembered as a loving and independent woman who continued to give through her professions as a business education teacher, registered nurse and assistant director of medical nursing, and through her many interests. Of note, she was admired and recognized for her diplomatic skills in dealing with difficult situations. She was a member of her college sorority, Alpha Chi Omega, and the P.E.O. Sisterhood, a pioneer women’s philanthropic organization which promotes educational opportunities for women. Favorite endeavors included reading, baking, singing, photography, appreciation of art and architecture, and travel. Betty was a dedicated Baltimore sports fan and in her earlier years enjoyed playing golf, walking and swimming. In addition, she was a devoted wife for 55 years to Hampton Halley Lisle, III, a mother to three successful children, Hampton Halley Lisle, IV, Lucile Ann Lisle, and Rachel Christina Lisle, and a supportive grandmother to Christian Lisle, and Lily and Mary Stenning. Furthermore, she cared for and trained the family’s three dogs, Rocky, Barnum and Sam. She is survived by her sister, Mary Banks Coulter of Ignacio, Colorado, a brother, Thomas G. Banks, III of Las Cruces, New Mexico, an uncle, Robert Banks of Cameron Park, California, an aunt, Anne Banks of Hartford, Connecticut, and special nieces, nephews and cousins.

Betty was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on June 15, 1935 to the late Thomas G. Banks, Jr. and the late Lucile Allen Emery Banks. Halley and Betty met through a double date. After a brief engagement, they married on November 28, 1957 at Central United Methodist Church in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Betty received her B.S. degree in Education from the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque and had the unique experience of singing in her Oklahoma high school choir performing with the opera singer, Mario Lanza. At age six in December 1941, her family lived in Honolulu, but returned to the United States soon after the attack on Pearl Harbor. She has memories of being scared at the time of the attack and remembers hearing the practice gunfire on the troopship that took her family back to the mainland. In addition, Betty and her family lived in many parts of the United States as she grew up, including Alaska, California, Colorado and Virginia.

Among her many accomplishments, she returned to school in the early 1970’s and obtained her nursing degree at Anne Arundel Community College in Maryland. She began working as a critical care registered nurse at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore on the night shift, and was quickly promoted to head nurse. After five years, she became assistant director of medical nursing at Johns Hopkins Hospital. She then became head nurse of the MICU and SICU at Baltimore City Hospital, now Johns Hopkins Bayview. Remarkably, while working full-time as a nurse manager and while taking care of her family, she received her M.B.A. at Loyola College in Baltimore in 1983. Remaining active in retirement, Betty served on the P.E.O. Maryland State Board for seven years and became President of the Maryland State Chapter 1994-1995. In addition, she served on numerous committees and offices including President in her local chapters. Betty was initiated into her mother’s P.E.O. Chapter AM-Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1963. After briefly living in Phoenix, Arizona, she and Halley moved to Maryland where she became a member of Chapter G-Glen Burnie. Five years ago, she helped form and was a member of Chapter AN-Severna Park, Maryland serving as photographer and newsletter editor. In addition, she was President of the Board of the Chesapeake Choral, Bowie, Maryland in which she also performed, and was President of the Annapolis Alumni Club of Alpha Chi Omega and liaison with the collegiate chapter. Betty was a devoted wife to Halley, and a mother, grandmother, teacher, nurse, friend, sister, role model, inspiration and mentor to so many who loved her dearly for 77 years.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the "P.E.O. Foundation" and sent to:

Lucy Travers, P.E.O. Foundation Chair, 1099 Colony Ridge Road, Odenton, MD 21113

(Please indicate on check "In loving memory of Elizabeth Lisle-Ch. AN, Maryland.")

Kindly RSVP to Lucile Lisle, lalisle@hotmail.com, (410) 451-4504 or (410) 991-1243.

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