Lisa M. White died on April 15, 2019, at her home in Edgartown, surrounded by her family, after an 18-month hard-fought battle with cancer. She was 59 years old.
Lisa was born at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital on Jan. 19, 1960, and was the child of Albert A. White and the late Wilda J. White. She grew up in Edgartown with her three best friends, her sisters Debra Scott, Shauna White-Smith, and Toni White-Hanover. The “sisters,” as they are collectively referred to, were a package deal. They were involved in every aspect of one another’s lives. Lisa spent her early years surrounded by a slew of Norton, White, and Conroy cousins, aunts, and uncles, centered around long beach days out at Oyster Pond and endless cookouts. She would often say she had the best childhood, filled with such wonderful and fond memories. She graduated from the Edgartown Elementary School, and then from the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School.
Lisa met Donny Morway 29 years ago on the Vineyard, and they built an amazing life together. They spent their days together traveling, gardening, shopping (Donny was a good sport), and building the most beautiful yard and home. Donny always had fresh flowers on Lisa’s table, and she filled the house with the smell of her delicious cooking and fresh blueberry muffins every Sunday morning. They were married on New Year’s Eve in 2017, in a beautiful ceremony with her children and her dad present. They threw a surprise reception the next day for the rest of their family and friends — Lisa always loved a good party! Keeping the surprise from her sisters was a feat like no other!
In 1980 Lisa had her first child, Michael Snowden II, followed by her daughter, Natasha Snowden-Cornock, three years later. While the kids were growing up, Lisa worked in real estate. This allowed her the flexibility to cart her two kids all over the Island for their sporting events, and gave her the opportunity to be at every single game. Her children were her greatest achievement, and she relished being surrounded by them and their growing families.
After her kids graduated from high school, Lisa got her dream job in Boston as an event planner for a pharmaceutical company. This gave her the opportunity to dress up every single day, which she loved, and to travel all over the world, including living in Switzerland for a stint in the most amazing flat above a delicious pastry shop, overlooking a beautiful lake. Lisa was extremely social, loved people, and absolutely loved her job. She had the best boss and co-workers at Shire Pharmaceuticals, and was so sad when her illness prevented her from returning.
Lisa’s most treasured role in her life was being a Mimi to her five grandchildren, Harley, Brynn, Asher, Sloan, and Myles. She loved watching her babies have babies, and lived for seeing those kids. Saying she spoiled them would be an understatement. She was always thinking of the next holiday and birthday, and how she could make it special for each child.
Lisa is survived by her husband, Donald V. Morway of Edgartown; her dad, Albert A. White of Edgartown; her children, Michael Snowden II (Allison Fisher) and Natasha Snowden-Cornock (Bryan Cornock), all of Edgartown; her sisters Debra Scott (Thomas), Shauna White-Smith (Mark), and Toni White-Hanover (Marc); her grandchildren Harley Snowden, Brynn Savva, Asher Savva, Sloan Snowden and Myles Snowden-Cornock; her nieces and nephews Christopher Scott (her godson), Timothy Scott, Jaime Schwab, Samantha Billings, Tony Lima, Brandon Smith, and Lindsay Hopkins; along with many amazing cousins, aunts and uncles, great-nieces and -nephews, and a wonderful community of friends in Natick and Martha’s Vineyard.
Her funeral service was held on Saturday, April 27.
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