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Lisa Anne (Gonzenbach) Cimino August 5, 1949 - February 8, 2023 Terrell, North Carolina - Lisa Anne (Gonzenbach) Cimino, 73, of Terrell, N.C., passed away peacefully on Feb. 8, 2023, surrounded by loved ones. She was the daughter of the late Walter and Lorraine Gonzenbach of Florissant, Missouri, and was married to John Cimino for 52 years. She had four children and 10 grandchildren who she loved dearly. Lisa is remembered as a kind, generous, warm and loving wife, mother, sister, sister-in-law, aunt and friend by those who knew and loved her. Beautiful inside and out, she was always ready to protect and nurture those she loved and all children and animals everywhere. Lisa was a child and animal whisperer. All children, dogs and cats were drawn to her gentle spirit. She was also mom to five dogs and two cats over her lifetime. Born in St. Louis, Missouri, on Aug. 5, 1949, she knew from an early age that she wanted to be a teacher and often played school in her backyard. Later, enrolled at St. Thomas Aquinas High School, she discovered her passion for performing and appeared in school musicals. After she graduated in 1967, she continued her education at Fontbonne University in Clayton, Missouri, where she appeared in more shows. She also attended Southern Illinois University where she earned a bachelor's degree in education. In college, Lisa studied piano and French horn as she prepared for a career in teaching. She also taught private piano lessons for years and many of her students still remember her as their favorite teacher. Knowing Lisa was to know music. A music teacher for many years, Lisa taught thousands of children to appreciate music, showing them how it can fill your heart, heal your soul and lift you up when you feel down. There was always a song and a dance in Lisa's heart and she loved sharing her passion for music with others. The day before she died, she told a nurse, "I just can't sit still when this song is playing," as she grooved to "Uptown Funk" by Bruno Mars from her hospital bed. Music marked so many moments in Lisa's life. When her children were young, Lisa would accompany them on piano for impromptu concerts on Christmas eve. She and her husband John wrote an original song together in their 30s. While on a trip to New York City in 2014, Lisa danced in a music video featuring the song "Happy" by Pharrell Williams. The video has been viewed over 988,000 times. She loved it. You can see it here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Lz6SF3s0h0). She appears at 1:01 with her eldest daughter Karen. After marrying John in 1970, Lisa followed her new husband to Panama where he served in the U.S. Air Force, and she gave birth to Karen in 1973. With the military, they also lived in California and Maine. Lisa gave birth to a second child Christina in 1975. After John left the military, they settled in upstate New York where Lisa gave birth to their third child John in 1977 and then to their youngest Scott in 1984. Lisa earned a master's degree in reading from the State University of New York-Cortland. This led her to teach second grade and then kindergarten, where she would often use music to get students excited about reading, writing and arithmetic. Even in her death, the countless number of people Lisa moved and inspired in her lifetime continue to remember her kind and loving spirit. Faced with her own struggles, even on the day of her death, she continued thinking of others. Lisa's final message to the world (shared on her Facebook page the day she died) was one of kindness and love: "Watch out for each other. Love everyone and forgive everyone, including yourself. Forgive your anger. Forgive your guilt. Your shame. Your sadness. Embrace and open up your love, your joy, your truth, and most especially your heart." - Jim Henson Lisa is survived by her husband John Cimino; daughters: Karen Cimino Wilson (Daniel) and Christina Skidmore (Timothy); sons: John Cimino (Alice Lee) and Scott Cimino (Jess); grandchildren: Katelyn, Madison, Tyler, Evelyn, Isabel, Samantha, Luke, Simon, Samantha "Maeve," and Harrison; sister Joan Kelly (Thomas) and brother William Gonzenbach (Lisa) as well as numerous beloved nieces, nephews, cousins and in-laws. Lisa was preceded in death by her parents Walter and Lorraine Gonzenbach, her sister Mary and many beloved aunts, uncles, cousins and in-laws. Viewing will be held on Wednesday, February 15, 2023, from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the St. Therese Catholic Church, 217 Brawley School Road, Mooresville, NC 28117. A funeral service will be held on Wednesday, February 15, 2023, from 11 a.m. to noon at the same location. A graveside service will be held on Wednesday, February 15, 2023, from 12:30 p.m. to 1 p.m. at the Northlake Memorial Gardens, 11001 Alexandriana Road, Huntersville, NC 28078. Details for LIVE access are below: Livestream start time: 10:55am Livestream end time: 12:40pm The Broadcast can be accessed LIVE from this page on our website: https://www.sainttherese.net/mass-livestream Viewers should scroll down the page and click the arrow in the center of the StreamSpot viewer to start watching the stream (It will say "Live" in the upper left corner beginning at 10:55am). To access the broadcast after the funeral: The broadcast can also be watched from the Mass Livestream page on our website for 1 week after the funeral has ended. Viewers will need to click in the StreamSpot viewer, then click the option for "Previous Broadcasts." From there, us the arrows to scroll through the broadcasts to get to the funeral and then click the picture to play the broadcast. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105 or www.stjude.org/donate. Cavin-Cook Funeral Home & Crematory, Mooresville, is serving the Cimino family. Condolences may be made to the family at www.cavin-cook.com.

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Lisa Anne Cimino

August 5, 1949 - February 8, 2023