Lisa Jane Hall

LISA JANE HALL OBITUARY & LEGACY DOB 9/16/1949, Albert Lea, MN. DOD 06/09/2025, Seattle WA

Surrounded by her loved ones, Lisa Jane Hall (Nee Sether) peacefully departed for her Eternal Life with Jesus following a short hospitalization due to complications associated with a biopsy for recently diagnosed lung cancer. She was radiant, true Proverbs 31 woman. Gifted with energetic creativity, compassion, and hospitality, she loved and contributed so much to so many. She is and will continue to be dearly missed by all who knew her. It is nigh impossible to find suitable words to describe Lisa.

1949 – 1967: Born in Albert Lea, MN to Anna Virgina (Nee Hill) and Russell Renvick Sether, Lisa was the youngest of three sisters. She grew up on the shores of Fountain Lake. Part of a true Minnesota family, she learned to swim, canoe and fish at an early age, which nurtured her love of water and the outdoors. Fountain Lake is where she caught her first fish, which also later helped her land her husband, Dan. She loved children from an early age and at the age of 10, became a “nanny” for the six Blumer children next door. They still have fond memories of Lisa reading Miss Piggle Wiggle stories, teaching them to swim and ice skating among other things. As teenager she also worked with kids in the Albert Lea summer Parks & Rec programs.

1967-1973: After graduating from high school Lisa travelled to Rehoboth Beach, DE, where she worked as a summer nanny & clerked at a local drug store. Although Lisa had ambitions towards law or architecture, she chose to follow her family tradition of service in social work. She graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1973 with a BS in Human Services / Park and Recreation Administration and Certification in Criminal Justice Studies. Putting herself through college it was necessary to take some quarters off to earn tuition. She worked summers at the End of the Trail Lodge Fishing Resort and Lutsen Ski Resort, where she grew to love the lakes and woods of northern MN. June 1972, Lisa met Daniel (Dan) Hall at UM YWCA where they were volunteers. The spark was lit, they quickly took a shine to each other and that was the beginning of a loving, productive, wonderful 52 years together!

1973-1978: On Aug 24, 1973, Lisa and Dan tied the knot. Due to their love of outdoor recreation and dislike of Midwest weather extremes they moved to Western WA. After short stints in Eatonville and Bellingham, they lived in Oak Harbor, WA for 4 ½ years. It was there they both fully understood the Gospel and received Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord. While in Oak Harbor, Lisa worked for Island County Court where she helped create WA State’s first juvenile justice diversion and accountability program. She also had a summer job with Bellingham Parks and Rec taking kids outdoors, concluding with a backpacking trip to Winchester Mountain. It wasn’t long until they were blessed with their daughter, Erin Trusler Hal in December 1976. .

1978 – 1995: In 1978 Lisa and Dan moved to Bellingham WA to establish Fairhaven Veterinary Hospital where they lived 39 years. For the next 20 years, she set aside career aspirations for the high call of deftly devoting her time and considerable energy to being a helpmate to Dan, motherhood, and church and community volunteer work. In 1980 they were blessed with 2nd child, Judson Daniel Hall. During these years, Lisa earned her DM (Dr Mom) being a nurse to Judson, who went through 5 years of treatment for Leukemia. Lisa volunteered as a Sunday and Pioneer Club leader and was active in the local community as a PTA Arts Project Coordinator for seven years, was part of the Planning and Development team for Kulshan Middle School, and Co-Coordinator for County High School New Year’s Eve parties. She organized a support group for Whatcom County Parents of Children with Cancer and was a contributor to the book “Childhood Leukemia.” Lisa worked on the Habitat for Humanity selection and nurturing committees for 5 years. Additionally, she worked in the Upper Room with people experiencing homelessness and at-risk youth and was a founding board member of The Whatcom Dream. Gifted with hospitality, she joyfully hosted innumerable events for family, church, as well as hosting foreign high school and college students from Palau, Japan, Indonesia, & Afghanistan.

1996 – 2003: Lisa attended and helped teach classes at Western WA University earning a certification in Human Services and Education. In 1997 Lisa began working in the Bellingham School District as Family Information Program Coordinator / Developer which evolved into a case worker role Roosevelt Elementary school. This excerpt from her retirement letter explains a lot about Lisa: “Most of you do not know that professionally I am a program planner/developer and was given a great opportunity to work in program development with the Bellingham School Districts “Family Information Center” project. Although I enjoy casework, as I have been doing, I find that my abilities are best used in human services community development. Three years ago, I began developing Northlake Church Resources Center and more recently have worked with The Whatcom Dream, two fast growing faith-based projects. Because of the fast pace at which these projects are developing, my schedule will not allow me to continue with the Family Information Center program next fall”. In her spare time she organized and host the “Ravik West Reunion” for all of her Norwegian relatives in 2003.

2003 – 2016: Lisa gave up her second well-paying job to volunteer for the Lord at North Lake Community Church. There she served at North Lake Community Church in various roles including interior décor and furnishing of the new building, developing a Resource Center for individuals struggling with emotional and financial stability, serving on the pastoral search teams, and continued to share her gift of hospitality. For 30+ years she dreamed of waterfront home eluded her. That dream became a reality in 2011 with an amazing Mid-Century Modern home on the shore of Admiralty Bay (Coupeville, WA). The fact that the house was badly neglected and needed some serious refurbishment was just another challenge to Lisa. She turned it into a great vacation destination for her family, friends, and a VRBO. She christen it Ranvik (“Bay of Ravens”) Beach House honoring her Norwegian heritage.

2016 – 2025: After 39 years in Bellingham both Lisa & Dan felt God calling them to pull up their Bellingham roots and move to Seattle to help raise their granddaughter, Ava Clare in the family traditions of faith, service, and love of God’s creation. They found an older Cape Cod home in Seattle’s Blue Ridge neighborhood. There she used her design magic one last time to create a beautiful, calming place she could share with friends and family.

Uniquely gifted with an ability to see in 3D and Technicolor, home design and hospitality were talents that Lisa shared with many. Her email handle; “ranvikskandesign” reflected a passion for her heritage and beautiful, functional design. With Dan, she helped design Fairhaven Veterinary Hospital, North Lake Community Church (both in Bellingham WA), four family homes and Ranvik Beach House with skill, grace. Each of her homes were designed with hospitality in mind. Her love of nature resulted in light filled, airy homes where plants were a prominent feature both indoors and out. Typically, her homes had 20- 40 indoor plants, some which she nurtured for decades. She also advised others as they built, remodeled, and redecorated their homes. For her hospitality was an outdoor affair as well. She helped to organize the traditional “Sether Family Camp” which ran continuously from 1975 till Covid disrupted life in 2020. Her signature contribution was blueberry pancakes cooked over an open fire. The berries were often freshly picked from a nearby mountain hillside.

Music and visual arts were also aspects of Lisa’s love of beauty. Starting with piano lessons at a young age she learned to play the guitar, recorder, clarinet, and dulcimer. She joyfully participated in her high school marching band and high school and university choirs. A natural at drawing and painting, she enhanced those innate talents with short courses, turning out some lovely botanicals and scenes of homes in outdoor settings. In later years playing the piano and watercolor art were often a source of creativity, relaxion, and joy that she shared with her daughter and granddaughter.

Travel was another aspect of life that Lisa greatly enjoyed. She was an able navigator while Dan drove, With their children, watercraft, and dogs, Lisa and Dan visited many states and parks in the Pacific NW. Favorites were the annual camping/fishing trips to Banks Lake in eastern WA and the annual Sether Family camps. There were many trips back and forth from Seattle to MN and WI. Epic road trips include three weeks in Norway, six weeks in Europe and Morocco and three weeks in the UK. Closer to home her favorite places were Heather Meadows in the Mt Baker National Forest, Coupeville’s Admiralty Bay / Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve; and Dunn Gardens in Seattle.

During her last decade of life, Lisa was progressively afflicted with multiple non-life threatening but painful and draining health issues. Those forced her to throttle back somewhat. Nonetheless, she persisted (this became her motto). She cared for Ava 5+ days a week, homeschooling her through kindergarten during Covid, teaching and encouraging her in multiple forms of art, piano, baking, generosity, kindness. She participated in a weekly women’s Bible study. She continued to be a “hostess with the mostest” frequently providing hospitality for family celebrations to casual gatherings with friends. Additionally, she was proud of her Scandinavian and English Heritage. Diving deeply into family genealogy she discovering her English ancestors were involved with the Magna Carta and Jamestown. She created a massive, wall size family tree which she passed on to her extended family and the Claiborne Clan.

Lisa was proceeded in death by her parents and her sister Kristin Ogren. She is survived by her husband of 52 years (Dan) and two amazing, contributing children, Erin (Immigration Attorney, Seattle, married to Andrew Slezak), and Judson (oncology PA, Issaquah married to Tasi Bemis), granddaughter Ava Clare Slezak, sister JoAnne Menard of Bellingham, nieces, nephews, and friends. Lisa’s love and legacy will continue to live on through her decades of loving influence on them.

Lisa was beautiful inside and out and shared that with all she encountered. Her love abounded and overflowed for family, all people, nature, music, design, travel, and most of all Jesus. She will be greatly missed by all whom she crossed paths with while on her Earthly journey to her Heavenly reward – “well done good and faithful servant!”. John 11:25- 26, 14: 1-3, 17:24.

Please share memories, photos, & condolences in the guestbook below.

A celebration of Life will be held at Bethany Community Church (Green Lake) in Seattle on Sept 19, 2025. Invitations will be sent later. RSVP please.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Lisa’s honor may be made to: Kairos House Guatemala City (http://www.kairosguatemala.com), The Whatcom Dream Bellingham, WA (https://www.thewhatcomdream.org/) Christa Ministries, Shoreline, WA ( https://crista.org) .

Arrangements Entrusted to Emmick Family Funeral Home - Seattle, WA