Lizette Vivian Liebold

The family requests that in lieu of flowers/gifts that donations be made to either of the two charities listed and linked below the obituary.

Lizette Vivian Liebold, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, friend, and teacher, unexpectedly passed away peacefully in her sleep on Nov. 24 at her home in San Diego, California. She was 72.

Lizette was born in Kingston, Pennsylvania, as the second child of Viola “Jill” and Henry “Hank” Liebold in 1952. With Hank serving as a pilot in the Army Air Corps, the family moved around the country during Lizette’s early childhood. After becoming a family of five, they settled in the upstate New York town of Red Hook when Lizette was in the 5th grade.

Lizette’s love for foreign languages began early, influenced by her French-speaking mother, who was proud of her French-Canadian heritage and determined to instill a love for the French language in her children. While still in third grade, Lizette began formally studying French through an experimental program designed for middle school-aged children at a local college.

In high school, Lizette excelled both academically and athletically. She studied languages, participated in multiple clubs, and was active in Band, Chorus, and Drama. A talented athlete, she played field hockey and softball, as well as a bevy of other sports.

After graduating from Red Hook High School in 1970, Lizette attended Russell Sage College in Troy, NY, where she earned a B.A. in French. During college, she spent a year studying at The Sorbonne in Paris, a city she came to cherish and would visit many times throughout her life. Upon graduating in 1974, she began her career as a high school foreign language teacher while working to complete her M.A. in Education at the State University of New York at Albany. 

In 1978, in Albany, New York, Lizette met the love of her life, Paul Turner, while they were both playing in a recreational softball league. Six months later, on Christmas Eve, he proposed to her dressed as Santa Claus. The following year, at the age of 27, she married Paul. Shortly after, they started their family, having two daughters, and eventually moved to the Albany suburb of Delmar, New York.

Lizette was a selfless and dedicated mother to her daughters Christie and Lauren, spending Friday nights at the end of the workweek packing them up and driving an hour through cold Massachusetts winter nights to Jiminy Peak, where the girls learned how to ski; sewing Halloween costumes from scratch each year; cheering on her daughters from the sidelines of their sports; opening her home to her daughters’ friends and teammates for countless sleepovers and pasta parties; taking her family on yearly summer vacations to Cape Cod; supporting her Holbrook Way neighbors’ children as though they were her own; and even regularly hosting year long foreign exchange students from Chile, Germany, Estonia, Switzerland, and France.

As her career progressed, Lizette was always seeking the best methods to enhance her students' education. She was an early adopter of TPRS (Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling) and later became a vocal advocate, collaborating with its leaders and teaching the method to fellow educators while continuing to instruct students French and Spanish.

Lizette’s dedication to teaching and her unwavering commitment to her students and colleagues did not go unnoticed. She earned National Board Certification, and in 2012, she was honored with the Ruth E. Wasley Distinguished Teacher of the Year Award from NYSAFLT (New York State Association of Foreign Language Teachers). Lizette was a trailblazer who touched countless lives.

After over 37 years of teaching, Lizette retired in 2013. However, she continued teaching until the end of her life—mentoring teachers globally on TPRS, volunteering to teach the English language to immigrants at local community centers, and assisting with Spanish lessons at her grandson's elementary school.

After retirement, she and Paul moved to Southern California to be close to her daughters and younger brother, Carl. Lizette and Paul immediately embraced the year-round warm weather of San Diego, frequently spending time at the beach, riding her bike to local yoga classes, creating outdoor winter holiday family traditions, and taking trips to the desert to see super-blooms and clear, starry nights.

Lizette enjoyed having the time to devote to interests such as volunteering at The Water Conservation Garden at Cuyamaca College, hosting book club meetings, knitting baby blankets and Christmas stockings for loved ones, and caring for her new canine companion, Bisoux. Of course, she also showered her grandchildren with endless love. “Mémé” was more than just a grandmother. She spent time with them constantly—taking them to museums and parks, doing art projects at her house, and attending their many sports and school events. She always indulged the boys, finding books and toys to nurture their many interests. Lizette was a fundamental presence in her grandsons' lives and made a profound impact.

Lizette was more than just a brilliant educator and loving mother and grandmother; she was a force of nature. She was strong and never afraid to speak up for what was right, whether advocating for the rights of women, children, or teachers.

She is survived by her beloved husband of 45 years: Paul Turner of San Diego, CA. She was adored by her daughters: Christie Turner (husband Kevin Fuller) of San Diego, CA; and Lauren Turner of Los Angeles, CA. She was Mémé to Kelly and Theo Turner Fuller whom she treasured and delighted in caring for. She will also be dearly missed by her two brothers, Chuck Liebold (wife Peggy Liebold), and Carl Liebold (wife Lorraine Padden), her goddaughter/niece Sarah Liebold, her nephews Ian and Brian Liebold, and all of their families.

We will miss her warm bright smile and her endless support and pride in all we did. She was taken too soon, and so our hearts ache at not having had a final goodbye; but we will forever cherish the priceless memories we were each blessed to have with our beloved Lee, Momma, Mom, and Mémé.

Visitation will be Friday, December 13th from 4-7pm at Featheringill Mortuary. Church services will be held on Saturday, December 14th at 10am at the Chapel at Saint Augustine High School. Christian burial to immediately follow at Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to The ACLU or the San Diego Water Conservation Garden.

VISITATION 

Friday, December 13, 4:00 - 7:00 PM 

Featheringill Mortuary, 6322 El Cajon Blvd, San Diego, CA 92115 

MASS OF CHRISTIAN BURIAL 

Saturday, December 14, 10:00 AM 

Chapel at Saint Augustine High School, 3304 Nutmeg St, San Diego, CA 92104 

INTERMENT 

Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery, 4470 Hilltop Dr, San Diego, CA 92102