Lisa Sebastian LaBine

Lisa Sebastian LaBine, age 66 of Knoxville, passed away peacefully at her home on her 34th wedding anniversary Sunday, June 1, 2025. Her husband John, son David, daughter Claire, and brother Michael sat with her in her study, overlooking her treasured wild birds and the sanctuary she had created for them.

Lisa was born in San Jose, and lived with her parents and brothers in California, West Virginia and Indiana, where she graduated from Indiana University in 1981 with a BS in Business. She worked in commercial insurance first as an underwriter in Dallas, TX and then as a broker in New York, NY where she met John. The two married there in 1991, then moved to Massachusetts, Louisiana, and Ohio where she continued working in commercial customer service. She ascended to full-time parenting and household management in 1998, and the family moved to Knoxville in 2000.

In 2019, Lisa was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), a devastating, terminal disease that slowly stole her physical strength, but never affected her ability to reason, remember, care, or give you a wry, knowing wink. While saddened like anyone would be to live with such a cruel disease, she never – never once – complained. She donated her brain and spinal cord to the Harvard Brain Tissue Research Center for use in ALS research and the search for a cure.

Lisa was a model of civility and decency, and she mourned the recent erosion of those virtues in our world. She was a trusted and valued friend - If you told her a secret, know that she took it with her to her grave. She spoke ill of no one, ever. She was a voracious reader, and she treasured the natural world around her, becoming a Certified Tennessee Naturalist, hiking extensively, and marveling at even the most inconspicuous insect, fungi, animal or plant she encountered.

She is survived by her husband John LaBine, their two children David and Claire, and her brothers Michael and Mark Sebastian. She is also survived by her father-in-law Leonard (Bud) LaBine, sister-in-law Michelle Studebaker, brothers-in-law Bill (Susie) and Brian (Barbara) LaBine; and many nieces, nephews, cousins and close friends. She was preceded in death by her parents, Michael and Sally Sebastian, her mother-in-law Janice LaBine, and brother-in-law Steve Studebaker. Her family extends special thanks to caregiver Loren Tauber and the nurses and doctors at UT Hospice.

Lisa’s family will host a gathering of friends and BBQ dinner at John and Lisa’s home on Saturday, June 21 from 2-6 pm because Lisa would hate to be the center of attention, even at her own funeral. If you would like to honor Lisa and join her search for a cure, consider joining her Walk to Defeat ALS team by visiting https://secure2.convio.net/alsa/site/TR/Walks/Tennessee?team_id=421725&pg=team&fr_id=16867