Lisl Mary Spangenberg

January 8, 1950-March 9, 2025

Lisl Mary Spangenberg, 75, passed away peacefully on March 9, 2025 after living every day to the fullest. An intellectual and educator, she spent her life helping others understand and enjoy the world through literature, the arts, language and film.

Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, to Mary Elizabeth Rew Spangenberg and Robert Ferriday Spangenberg III, she never lost her love of all things French and New Orleans-centric. Reading and writing were anchors to her

life which she shared with fierce advocacy and patient probing. Her career was broad in the worlds of business and education.

A graduate of Mercy Academy in New Orleans, Lisl completed her Bachelor's degree from the University of Colorado (Boulder) in three years. She then traveled extensively, working several years in Europe and living on a kibbutz in Israel. She returned to earn a Master's degree in Linguistics from Louisiana State University. As a graduate teaching assistant at the University of Texas (Austin) she went on to complete PhD work in Linguistics. She received a scholarship to an elite Harvard Business School program designed to position Humanities majors more broadly in the world of business. She was hired immediately by Texas Instruments where she was a pioneer in the world of text-to-speech technology. Her work in Austin included developing synthetic speech applications for the talking elevator.

She continued her career managing those applications in Europe for General Instrument until she followed a greater passion: free-lance writing, including regular reporting for Furniture Today and publishing a book:"Timeless Traditions, A Couple's Guide to Wedding Customs Around the World." While living in Greensboro, NC, she delighted in time spent with her young nephew and niece.

Of all her successes, Lisl considered her greatest career accomplishment to be the over 23 years of teaching high school English in the Los Angeles area. Granada Hills Charter High School, consistently ranked as one of the best schools in California, was her epicenter as she cajoled her students to see the world through expansive lenses. Her empathy, wisdom and practical advice guided a generation of students into top notch colleges all over the country.

Lisl was preceded in death by her brother, Rew George Spangenberg. She is survived by loving siblings Robert F. Spangenberg IV (Barbara) of New Orleans, Louisiana, Margaret Spangenberg Benjamin (Bill) of Greensboro, North Carolina, Peter R. Spangenberg (Melanie) of Ponchatoula, Louisiana, and many nieces and nephews in addition to her California family of close friends. Her sister-in-law Barbara's love and care in Lisl's last year earned her the well-deserved designation as Lisl's other sister.

A private celebration will be held at a later date in New Orleans by her Spangenberg clan with great food and much laughter, just the way she wanted to remember home.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to the Granada Hills Charter High School through the link below. When prompted with "Apply My Donation To" - the family suggests "Curriculum and Instruction."

https://ghchs.networkforgood.com/projects/230430-ghc-tk-12-excellence-fund-2024-2025