Obituary of Elisa S. Sawall

Elisa “Lisa” Cushing Sleeper Sawall died peacefully at her home in Wappingers Falls, New York on July 14, 2023. She was the daughter of the late Jacob Henry Sleeper and Anna Nancy Bowler Lindley, born June 8, 1942 in Brookline, Massachusetts. She is survived by her loving and devoted husband of almost 30 years, Wilhelm “Bill” Sawall; her sister, Diana Sleeper Davis; her children, Kristine Hoff and Alex Hoff; her grandson, Andrew Hoff; her nieces, Ginger Rivera and Sally Hand; her step-son, Jim Sawall and his wife Pam; and her step-granddaughters, Lauren and Jessica. She was predeceased by her brother, Frederick “Phred” Brewer. Lisa also leaves behind a large number of dear friends.

Lisa was raised in Boston, Massachusetts, until age ten or so when she moved to Charleston, South Carolina with her mother and siblings. Soon after she attended Roger’s Hall preparatory school in Massachusetts and later the University of South Carolina, from which she obtained her Bachelor’s degree in History. At some point, she became determined to go to Norway, and spent her junior year abroad in Oslo where she met Gunnar Hoff. They married in 1964 and a few years later settled in Wappingers Falls and raised their two children.  On January 8, 1994 (not coincidently, Elvis Presley’s birthday) she married Bill. The former “Wild Bill” became “Mild Bill”.

Lisa worked as a teacher and then as a real estate agent locally for many years. She was an avid tennis player and skier. She later took up golf and only regretted not taking it up earlier. She loved to exercise, especially dance. She enjoyed music, photography, her bridge club of many years, her investment club and her book clubs. She was an active member of the Ladies Auxiliary of the New Hamburg Yacht Club and was on the board of Wappingers Rural Cemetery. After the death of her mother, she volunteered for the Alzheimer’s Association for many years. She enjoyed traveling and traveled the world. Lisa did the crossword puzzle or word games almost every day.  

Family and friends will gather to celebrate and remember Lisa on Saturday, July 22, 2023 from 2 to 4 p.m. at Straub, Catalano & Halvey Funeral Home, 55 East Main Street in Wappingers Falls.

Interment will be in the spring of 2024 in the Sleeper family plot in Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Memorial donations may be made to Alzheimer’s Association Hudson Valley Chapter, 2649 South Road, Suite 101, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601.

To send the family a personal condolence, please visit our website at www.StraubCatalanoHalvey.com.