Lisa B.

Lisa B. goes by her middle name rather than her given name of Carolyn. She was born on Tax Day and has lived in the Milo-Grogan neighborhood for most of her life, with the exception of a handful of years in Linden and a short stint south of Milo. She went to Catholic school until the 5th grade and also attended Everett, Milo, and East High School before graduating through the Adult Day High School.

Lisa married her brother’s best friend at the age of 25. She remembers not liking him very much when she was younger but he always seemed to be around. He even used to go on family vacations with her family. She said he was always over at her house. When they were in high school, he would tell his girlfriends that Lisa was her cousin to calm their jealousy. They reconnected in their 20s and married after dating for two years — which led to more than a few confused neighbors saying, “Wait… I thought that was your cousin?!” They were married for 38 years until he passed away unexpectedly in 2019.

Lisa says she can cook “just about anything” but she is especially good at baking german chocolate cake and carrot cake. She loves to fish and used to travel all over to find the best fishing locations. She can’t think of a place in Ohio she hasn’t been. Her journeys took her to many small towns that most people have never heard of like Dogtown, KY and Kermit, WV. 

She is generally a quiet and shy person, but if she has the opportunity to dress up for Halloween or wear Christmas-themed sweater – watch out! She knocks it out of the park. She also loves the snow. When she would hear about a snow storm coming, she did the opposite of panic. She would bundle up her kids and run into the streets to play. 

Her first family home in Milo-Grogan was torn down in the 1960s to make way for the freeway. Her current home was gifted to her mother by her uncle after he passed, as a thank you for being his caregiver when he fell ill. Her mother was “a perfect lady” as Lisa fondly recalls. She not only cared for her and her siblings but she was also a nurse. 

At one point in time, Lisa thought she would become a school teacher or a nurse like her mom. She briefly went to Columbus State and nursing school to become a nursing aide. She spent most of her career working in blunt childcare. She absolutely loves kids. Her specialty was arts and crafts. Each Easter, she would make every single child their own Easter basket. Each one was different. After 15 years as a childcare teacher she made the switch to being the cook at the daycare. 

Lisa is a delightful addition to At Home By High and makes us all smile with her witty remarks and descriptive storytelling. She has made fast friends with so many other members, some neighbors and some living outside of Milo. She is quick to participate in a fishing trip or happy hour event, but if you ask her to go to a museum with you, she’ll respond with a definitive “mm mm” and shake of her head. This is part of Lisa’s charm and why we are so thankful she is with us.