Lisa was the light of our high school.  She will be missed by all including those nuns.  Her laugh took us far.  You will be missed by so many.   Cathy sullivan

I remember Lisa as the cool cousin who would take me and my sister to get our nails done, and inspired us to have the messiest rooms we could. Every cousins party, every celebration she was full of joy and life.  I’m so sorry for your loss. 
- Caitlyn

I was so happy Lisa was able to join me on the Presidents’ Retreat.  I remember she was going to have a hip replacement shortly after this trip - but it didn’t stop her from dancing and shaking those hips to all the Caribbean music! I remember telling her, “Lisa, if I threw out my hips like that, I would need a hip replacement!” She was always happy and smiling and enjoying the fun. 💕

The last time we were all with her it will be a great memory. We will miss her forever. The biggest smile

Jim and I were sad to hear of Lisa’s passing. We have many great memories of her  and both feel blessed to have known her. Sending love and prayers to Chris, Jake, Allison, Ryan and all her extended family.

I  loved working with this amazing lady.  She always had a smile on her face.  In fact, her whole face lit up when she smiled. She is an inspiration to all.  I will miss her so much. We worked at Danbury High School  "2 doors down".  Heaven has a beautiful new angel.....RIP My sweet friend....

My name is Rose; my husband and I have been her cleaners for over 20 years. I would like to say that throughout all these years, she was always kind to us—and even while facing her illness, she remained so positive and incredibly strong! She was a warrior in the face of the disease; she fought bravely! I thank the good Lord for the family she has—her husband was always so helpful! She is in a good place, and may God grant her eternal rest. I will miss her! But I will keep her in my heart. And Sorry for the loss for all family, Mr. Chris, Alisson and Jake. 🙏

This  photo is of Lisa and I at Our 50th high school reunion in April. I was so happy that she was able to make the trip to Queens.Lisa,  I can’t believe  it would be the last time I would talk to you. You were the first person I saw when I exited my car that day, and your question to me was.” How is your grandson? My answer was” eight years in remission this July.” Lisa had been in constant contact  with me throughout his treatment, always sending prayers and being uplifting. Rest in peace, my sweet friend.Till we meet again
Love, Vejay

Dear loved ones of Lisa,
I knew Lisa when I was about 8-13 years old as a friend of her daughter. It was a long time ago when I knew her, but I wanted to share a memory I have with her. In the car when I was about 9, a popular song by The Fray came on the radio. Lisa and Alison started singing it, and I realized in that moment that I actually enjoyed music for the very first time. Their enthusiasm for the song got me into that band, and eventually many others which inspired me to pick up guitar. Lisa was an inspiration; kind and enthusiastic, and I’ll always have that little memory that ended up having a big impact on me.
Much love, 
Mary T.

Part 3 continued -

inside and out. She was the godmother to my daughter, Bernadette, and they enjoyed a close relationship from childhood to adulthood. 

Lisa had a husband and two terrific children of her own - Alison and Jake - and I am heartbroken for them as well as her siblings. I am grateful  that Bernadette, my son Stephen, my sister, and I were able to visit Lisa at her home in Connecticut just two weeks ago, and that she was strong enough to converse with us for a full three hours. That time together was priceless. She was a wonderful wife, mother, friend, aunt, cousin, and godmother. 

To say she will be missed is such an understatement, the void is unimaginable.

Part 2 continued:
and painful treatments. The medical community must find a better way to treat cancer. 
We spent every single holiday of our childhoods together.  Both Aunt Mary and Uncle Sam were great cooks, and with their restaurant experience, they made cooking and serving a crowd look effortless. The table was always immaculate, the food abundant, the presentation beautiful, and the joy and the laughter irreplaceable. On Christmas, we would gather around the piano and sing carols. Uncle Sam was a great singer, as is my cousin, Tom, (Lisa’s brother). After dinner, we would drive around the neighborhood and view the Christmas light displays which were extravagant in Mill Basin. 
On birthdays my brother and her brothers would put together fun boxes of all kinds of crazy things - creepy crawlers, ice cubes with fake bugs, and sometimes even dead bugs,  layering them between paper towels inside a gift box. They were presented to the person celebrating, and we would laugh waiting for the recipient to be horrified or delighted by the contents. Yes, long before the days of cell phones, video games, and cable television, children used their imaginations to play. We were all close in age, and we remain close to this day. Lisa’s brother, Stephen, and his wife, Ellen, see to it that we celebrate Thanksgivings together. 
Listening to music was another pastime, and I recall hearing “Tapestry,” by Carol King with Lisa for the first time, finding the album’s lyrics to be so insightful, as they were written on the jacket, a novelty. 
I was the first of the cousins to have children, so my kids are fortunate to share some fond holiday memories of wonderful family dinners before the house on Whitman Drive was sold, and so much of life changed. 

Lisa would smother my kids  with kisses when they were babies, leaving her bright red lipstick all over them. It was her “trademark.”  She was the life of the party, always smiling, always positive, and optimistic. Always beautiful -

I lost my first friend in all the world, and it is devastating - my first cousin, Lisa.
We were born a year apart, and our mothers (sisters) made sure we remained close as children. That friendship grew and continued throughout our lives. As adults, not a week would pass without long telephone conversations between the two of us, the type of lengthy calls people just don’t have anymore. We talked about everything and anything, including reminiscing about how fortunate we were to have enjoyed such wonderful childhoods. 
Every single Sunday, growing up, without fail, my family and I went to Lisa’s house for Sunday dinner at 211 Whitman Drive in Brooklyn. It was written in stone because Lisa’s dad, Uncle Sam, owned an Italian restaurant near the house, and my dad’s second job was working there on weekends, so he would drop my mom, my grandmother, and we three kids off at Aunt Mary’s house so we could spend the day with Lisa and her four siblings. Then, he would pick us up after work.  
We passed the time playing countless word games, Board games like Monopoly and Life, and we would often create “shows,” rehearsing skits, that we later performed for our parents. We would gather around the piano and sing Broadway tunes. Some of my fondest memories are of Lisa, playing the piano, and my efforts to sing, despite my horrible voice. How we would laugh, especially when I tried to hit the notes to the song, “Sunshine of My Love.”  
I remember a game we played as pre-teens that asked - “What would you do if you were stuck on a desert island?” The answers were tossed into the middle of the game and we would have to guess whose they were. My answer was, “Accept my fate, and find a way to adapt.” Lisa said, “Find a way to escape,” and I found that to be the far better answer. I knew it was she who said it, and years later, it would demonstrate the courageous battle she endured fighting cancer at the young age of 40, and then again at 60, suffering far too many invasive (continue)

Dear Chris, Jake, Allison, Steven, Tom, and Marissa,

I was so sorry to hear about your Mom/Sister.  She and I go way back to high school.  We shared many memories and especially rides home on the bus from McAuley.  Some of my best memories of high school were because of her.  I am so sorry for your loss, she was an amazing person, who touched more lives than she'll ever know.  May the Angels greet her with her parents and Janet.  Thank you for being such a great friend when I needed one.   You were one of the best.   Love, Patsy Raftery Coyne

My condolences to Lisa’s family. Her family and mine were more like brothers and sisters from Mill Basin. Great memories growing up with them. My She Rest in Peace 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

Lisa was loved by all, including my children -  and years later, my grandchildren.  Here, she is pictured with me, my parents, and my three children - Stephen, holding her dress; Nicky; and she holds Bernadette. Memories of our younger years together. She was always beautiful.

Once upon a time, when we were too young to consider such good times would ever end, Aunt Mary would host an annual July 4th backyard bbq extravaganza, attended by dozens and dozens of family members and friends. We would pull our matching flag shirts from the drawers, wear them to the celebration, and usually figure out a way for all of us to pose for a photo, taken with a 110 camera, of course. I don’t know why I can’t find a photo with everyone in attendance, but I know it exists. That was when the majority of our family still lived in Brooklyn, and we cousins were always together. 
Wonderful memories of a bygone era. Lisa and I often reminisced about the good times we shared growing up, and how our parents always made sure we saw each other at least once a week so we remained close.

Such wonderful memories 
We watched A Star is Born a million times one weekend and now I will watch it with fond memories of that beautiful weekend. You are the sweetest, kindest friend and will always be with us.

Our beloved friend full of love, adventure, kindness, and life will be missed by so many people on earth. She will always be in our hearts and memories.
Love you Always
Terri

OBITUARY

Lisa Porzungolo Pappas

December 31, 1958 – August 18, 2026

Green Funeral Home

Show your support

Add a Memory

Share Obituary

Get Reminders

Past Services

Visitation

Funeral Mass

Burial