Lisa Luise Zentner Gurney was born Oct. 1, 1931 to Georg Zentner and Luise Fohrer Zentner in Stuttgart, Germany, the middle child of five siblings.

As a young girl, she saw the horror of World War II firsthand as their city was bombed. Due to the war, Lisa, her mother and sisters were temporarily sent to safety in a more rural part of the country.

At the age of 16 she had the opportunity to go to London, England, to work as an au pair. When her charges went off to school, Lisa stayed in London and worked at the London Hospital, making many wonderful friends and memories there.

After six years in England, she returned to Germany to her parents. Through her language skills, she was employed by the U.S. Army in Stuttgart, where she met and married her soldier husband Richard K. (Dick) Gurney in 1955.

Two years later they welcomed a baby daughter Patricia. During their married life in the service, they lived on various bases, including the Presidio in San Francisco and Fort Hood in Texas.

After Dick’s retirement from the Army in 1966, they returned to Utah, where Dick grew up and his family lived. During their early years in Utah, Lisa worked at Read’s Jewelry & Gift Shop in downtown American Fork for over 20 years.

After the jewelry store closed, Lisa and Dick spent their time camping, traveling, and working in their lovely yard at their American Fork and then Cedar Hills homes.

In 2003 they moved to Carpinteria to be closer to their daughter where they enjoyed the warm weather and scenic trails.

After 54 years of marriage, Dick passed away in 2009. Lisa continued to live in her apartment in Carpinteria with a view of the pool and trees, which she loved, until she was 93 years old, then moved to a care facility in Santa Paula, where she was well taken care of until her death.

Lisa was an excellent cook and an avid reader, she loved flowers and birds, their various cats and dogs over the years, and enjoying nature and gardens.  Lisa was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, and three siblings Walter, Rolf and Marga.

She is survived by one sister, Hildegard Mueller (Alf), of Park City, Utah; daughter Patricia of Oxnard, California, and nieces and nephews.

Lisa passed away on Nov. 27, 2025. A celebration of life will be held 2-4 p.m. May 9 at Alice Keck Park Memorial Garden in Santa Barbara, and graveside services at 11 a.m. May 16 at the Lehi City Cemetery in Lehi, Utah.

Arrangements were handled by Garcia Funeral Services, Santa Paula, California.