Maria Elisa Zamba

Maria Elisa Zamba passed away on Wed., May 17, 2017, at Parkside Manor surrounded by her loving family.

Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on January 26, 1935, to Guillermo and Anna Burner, she was best known as “Lisa” to her friends and family.

At an early age, Lisa’s mother moved her children from Argentina to Germany with the expectation of economic opportunity. Unknowingly, the family arrived just before the outbreak of World War Two. Trapped by the war and marginalized by most Germans, they scratched out a meager existence in a rural community until the country was liberated by the Allies in 1945.

Immediately after the war, the then 10-year-old Lisa contracted Typhoid Fever. With little hope of recovery and an urgent need for hospital beds, German doctors ordered that Lisa be taken to the morgue where she was expected to pass. Fortunately, she made a dramatic comeback and was discharged from the hospital. In 1947, Lisa’s mother moved the family back to Buenos Aires, Argentina, where she went to school and worked.

In 1953, an aunt living in Erie, Pennsylvania, offered to sponsor Lisa’s visa to live in the United States. The family pooled their money and Lisa traveled by air from Buenos Aires to New York City. At that time in aviation, it was a novel trip that that took her through several Latin American countries. For her journey, Lisa earned a special recognition from Pan American Airways. Decades later, Lisa saw the type of commercial airplane used on her journey on display at the Air & Space Museum in Washington, D.C., and marveled at how she ever made the long trip in such a small plane.

Lisa lived and worked in Erie, Pennsylvania, where she met and married in 1956 Lawrence A. Zamba. In 1967, they moved the family to Kenosha and remained here until 1993. Lisa and Lawrence then retired to St. George, Utah. After Lawrence’s death, Lisa returned to Kenosha in 2002.

Lisa was described as generous, caring, fun and always witty. She enjoyed golf, bowling, cooking and was a news junkie. Lisa enjoyed a wide variety of music and enjoyed dancing (particularly the tango). Lisa volunteered with the Boy Scouts in the 1970s and 1980s when her two oldest sons were involved. When she retired, Lisa volunteered in the library at Stocker Elementary where a grandchild went to school. She spoke three languages—English, Spanish and German—and often helped immigrant neighbors to navigate their new lives in the United States.

Lisa was employed with St. Catherine’s Hospital in its dietary department until her retirement in 1991.

She is survived by her children, Larry (Patti) Zamba of Union Grove, Wis., Michael (Norma) Zamba, of Bethesda, Maryland, Thomas (Sandra) Zamba of Kenosha and Susan (Jason) Drake of Little Suamico, WI; 9 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren.

Along with her parents and husband, Lisa was preceded in death by her brothers, Ludwig and Karl, and her sisters, Helena and Anita.