Lise P. Gussow

Born October 9, 1942 – Saint-Placide, Québec, Canada - Lise Pierrette (Lanthier) Gussow, 83, passed away peacefully at Calyx Living of Durham, North Carolina, on May 2nd, 2026. She will be missed by all who knew her.

She was preceded in death by her parents Corinne and Omer Lanthier of Saint-Placide, Québec, and by her sister Raymonde Lanthier of Laval, Québec. She is survived by her husband of 52 years, Christopher H. Gussow and children Catherine Linnea (Gussow) McLaughlin and husband Daniel of Winston-Salem, NC; Stephen Craig Gussow and his wife Julie of Allen, TX; Christa Elisabeth (Gussow) Mayo and her husband Rob of Blounts Creek, NC; her brother-in-law David Gussow and his wife Margaret of Ottawa, ON; her grandchildren Isabel and Robert Mayo, and Jenny Gussow; her sister and brother-in-law Marie-Paule (Lanthier) and Jean-Pierre Bélanger of Saint-Nicolas, Québec; her cousin Muguette Landry of Québec; her nephew Patrice Church and wife Laura; her niece Myriam Church and her husband Michel; her nephew Daniel Gussow and wife Yvonne; and niece Elisabeth Gussow and all their extended family and dear friends.

Lise grew up on a farm near Oka, Québec, where the rhythms of rural life shaped her strength and warmth. At eighteen, she left for the city of Montréal to pursue a secretarial certificate. She mastered English, ultimately becoming perfectly fluent in both languages — a gift that would serve her beautifully throughout her life. She met Chris in 1973, and in marrying him she also opened her heart to his three children, embracing them as her own. Though her roots were deeply French Canadian, when the family relocated to Durham in 1977, she fell in love with her new home and never looked back, building a life and a thriving business with characteristic determination. Lise had an unmistakable zest for life — she laughed easily and often and drew people to her wherever she went.

Lise was well known in the Durham North Carolina Business community for her employment agency Élite Personnel Services, which she built from scratch. She also became the first female President of the Durham Sales & Marketing Executives. Lise always loved a gathering and enjoyed both hosting and attending events with family and friends enjoying great food and wine. She especially loved the many elaborate meals shared with their friends in the local “Gourmet Club”. Both she and her husband Chris traveled the world extensively and enjoyed meeting people from around the world on their travels. Lise never knew a stranger and always reached out to see what passion in life excited them.

The family would like to thank all those who helped make Lise comfortable in her last few years at Calyx Living in Durham and her doctors at Duke Regional Hospital. You helped Lise and all of us immensely.

Lise's funeral service is scheduled for Wednesday, May 27th at 11am at Holy Infant Catholic Church, 5000 Southpark Dr. Durham, NC 27713. There will be a reception to immediately follow (until 2pm) at Atria Southpoint, 5705 Fayetteville Rd, Durham, NC 27713.

The Interment Service will be held Monday, July 20th at 11am in Ottawa, Canada at Beechwood Cemetery, 280 Beechwood Ave, Vanier, ON K1L 7P4 Canada. A Celebration of Life will immediately follow (until 2pm) in the reception room at Beechwood.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donating your time to visit those friends and family members who are struggling with dementia and end-of-life challenges.