Elizabeth “Lisa” Carlson died June 4, at age 86. After a colorful, productive life, she chose to remain comfortable in her Hinesburg home, with loving care provided by family, friends and the amazing caregivers from the University of Vermont Home Health and Hospice.
Lisa was born in 1938 in Melrose, Mass. She is widely known for her pioneering work as a consumer advocate and as executive director of the national nonprofit Funeral Consumers Alliance and, later, the Funeral Ethics Organization. She wrote the book Caring for the Dead and, with co-author Joshua Slocum, Final Rights. In 1995, she assisted Jessica Mitford in updating the best-selling The American Way of Death.
Other pursuits over the years included teaching school in Massachusetts and Vermont, and serving as principal of the school at the old state hospital in Waterbury. Skilled in the building trades, she and her husband built their Hinesburg home and remodeled several others. She provided foster care for numerous, wonderful young Vermonters. Back in the 1960s, she ran a restaurant in Plainfield, The Hungry Pig and I. She created websites before most other people even heard about the Web and provided user help for business software. Other ventures included beetle taxidermy, fishing-worm sales and installing built-in vacuums.
Survivors include her husband, Steve Carlson; son Stuart Mercer and daughter-in-law, Mary Kelly Mercer; daughter, Joie Brackett-Reeves; son Shawn Brackett; stepson, Joshua Carlson; stepdaughter, Rosalie Carlson; brothers Edward Shippen and Eugene Shippen; sister-in-law, Laura Brackett; and grandchildren, Matthew, Liam and Ellie Mercer, Ellisa and Kadia Cox-Brackett, and Kolbey Brackett.
Lisa’s body was donated to the University of Vermont Anatomical Gift Program and was transported by Stephen C. Gregory & Son. The family will plan a memorial gathering during the coming months. If you wish to send condolences and/or be notified about the gathering, please contact Steve Carlson at steve@upperaccess.com.
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This article appears in Jun 7-13, 2023.
I have known Lisa and Steve for well over 40 years. Both great people! As the author of “How to Get the Death you Want”, edited and published by Steve, i worked with Lisa in several capacities and met them here in Tucson on several occasions. I served on the national and local BODs of Funeral Consumers Alliance, met my friend Josh Slocum several times and served on the BOD of FCA with him.
Although all three people were geographically far removed from me, we had great collaboration and comradery and I remember them fondly. Among much not mentioned in Lisa’s obituary was her as being the author of the book “I Died Laughing.” I still have her autographed copy among my several hundred death-related books on a a shelf of my wooden coffin. And I’ve used her humor in one of my classes: “Jest Death.”
Although she had a good death with great hospice care (I’ve been everything from President to bed pan changer with several hospices, founded several, and helped start the 3rd on this country)) I regret her having died.
People talk about closure and getting over it, but I’ll always fondly remember Lisa. The best one can do is reconsile oneself to the death.
I wish Steve and their children love and the very best in living with their loss.