No CulinaryWoman Newsletter This Sunday

Sadness in our family

Dear CulinaryWoman readers,

There won’t be a newsletter this Sunday. This week, my family suffered the loss of my dear sister-in-law, Lisa Barry. She had dealt with a heart condition for a period of time and died suddenly on Tuesday evening.

Lisa was well-known in the Ann Arbor-Ypsilanti community as the local host of All Things Considered on WEMU-FM public radio. Since her death, there has been an outpouring of support and lovely tributes to her.

You can read what Congresswoman Debbie Dingell wrote about her here.

One of Lisa’s regular segments, Art and Soul, looked at the arts around Washtenaw County including a monthly discussion of restaurants.

She frequently spoke with Ari Weinzweig, the co-founder of Zingerman’s, and was sometimes the first media outlet to feature new restaurants and pop ups in the area.

Lisa was married to my brother Frank Maynard for 37 years. She often said she thought my brother was the smartest person she had ever met. (I think he’s smart, too.)

Lisa loved hosting family gatherings, and her home was traditionally the site of our Thanksgiving dinners, even though she and my brother are vegetarians (her brother Michael usually brought over the turkey).

You can see Lisa in the foreground as my family celebrated my mother’s 100th birthday in 2013. Her sons Parker and Benjamin are next to her, and Frank sits across from her.

We will miss her very much. If you would like to make a donation to WEMU-FM in her honor, I’m sure they would appreciate it.

See you again on Sunday, Dec. 12.