Lisa Hock - Beloved Wife, Mother, Daughter, and Friend

Lisa was a devoted mother to Wonare and Ekitu, and, with her husband, Mark, built a warm home in Pleasant Ridge. She rigorously tended to her daughters' breakfasts, was there for their school events and activities, and created the steady, loving foundation that made their house a home.

On December 20th, she was taken from us far too soon by a sudden, unexpected, devastating embolism in the early morning hours. She was 62 years old.

She was the daughter of Eugene Hock and the late Rometta Achenbach Hock and is survived by her four siblings, Tony, Kathryn, Chris, Teresa. They and their families were important to her and she did her best to stay connected even though her home was in Detroit and they were in Kansas and Missouri. Whenever possible she would load up her daughters and drive to visit over holidays. She was deeply curious and supportive, doing her best to create and maintain loving bonds.

Her friendships stretched across continents. Neighbors in Pleasant Ridge knew her as the woman next door, someone you'd wave to in the morning or chat with on the sidewalk. She had friends in Germany reaching back to her undergraduate years. She had connections to Ethiopia, relationships that mattered deeply to her and reflected her belief in building bridges across cultures and communities.

The charities her family chose for memorial donations reflect what brought her joy: Wide Horizons for Children, which works in international adoption and child welfare; Friends of the Rouge, protecting the river in her Detroit community; WDET radio, the local NPR affiliate; and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, supporting the birds she loved to watch. These weren't arbitrary choices. They were Lisa's passions, the things she cared about when she wasn't teaching or grading papers.

Her family and friends knew her as someone who created a welcoming home, who was there for the small moments that make up a life. They knew her as loyal and thoughtful, someone who maintained connections across distance and time. Her daughters knew her as Mom or Mama—steady, loving, present.

She lived 62 years filled with family, friendship, meaningful work, and love. She raised two daughters. She was a sister, an aunt, a wife, a neighbor, a friend.

Her family and friends carry forward the warmth she brought to every relationship, the care she showed in small daily acts, the love that defined her life. She's deeply missed. And she's lovingly remembered by everyone whose life she touched.

Also Visit: Professional Life: A Scholar and Teacher