Obituary of Lisa Marie Maffia

Lisa Marie Maffia went home to be with Jesus on August 19, 2020, after a two year battle with Appendiceal Cancer. Lisa was 47 years old. Lisa was born the youngest of three children to Joseph and Mary Pavone on October 4, 1972, in San Jose, California. Raised in a tight-knit and very large loving Italian family. Inspired by her family roots and believing in God’s promises, Lisa began to pray for her future husband at a very young age. God answered Lisa’s prayers and in 2004 she met Justin Maffia at Santa Cruz Bible Church where they were both serving as volunteers in the youth group. Their friendship blossomed into a relationship and on July 9th, 2005 Lisa and Justin were married. Their 15-year union gifted them with three vibrant and loving children, Micah (11), Luca (9) and Ella (6). Lisa found her greatest fulfillment in marriage and family life and was a very dedicated and loving mother. She documented her family’s life artfully through her love of photography, and her home celebrated her love of family traditions and her Italian heritage. Creating lasting memories was always a priority for Lisa. She also had a passion for cooking, spending time with friends, and retreating with the family to their vacation home in Clearlake. After graduating in 1997 with a degree in English from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Lisa received her teaching credential at Bethany Bible College and went on to begin her career as an elementary school teacher. After a handful of years of teaching, Lisa moved on to a successful career in technology support contract sales. When their first son, Micah, turned two, Lisa made the decision to care for her family full time. Lisa lived her life with faith in God and her belief in His promises. Her life actions and decisions were always ones to promote the well-being and provision for her children and future generations to come. Those that had the opportunity to know Lisa closely would agree that she was kind, thoughtful, loyal in her friendships, and had a work ethic to be admired. She was fiercely determined, looked for the bright side in all things, and thought the best of others. Lisa is survived by her mother and father, Joseph and Mary Pavone; her brother and sister-in-law, Joe and Nina Pavone, their children Rachel and Joseph; her sister, Cheryl Rizzi and her children, Nicole and Amber; and her loving and dedicated husband, Justin and their children, Micah, Luca, and Ella. Lisa also leaves behind a large tribe of life-long friends alongside her family, who grieve her absence and look forward to fellowship with her again outside of all suffering. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Appendix Cancer Pseudomyoma Peritonei Research Foundation at www.acpmp.org, an organization dedicated to research and education centered around the rare condition which Lisa battled. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” Mathew 5:4