Photo by David Garten
Lisabeth Brooks Magoun (Jan. 5, 1960 – May 28, 2026)
Lisabeth Brooks Magoun, 66, of Charlotte, North Carolina, left this plane May 28. After 10 years of challenges, her body could no longer contain her spirit — and now she is free to dance with the stars. She leaves behind her daughter, Meredith Magoun; son-in-law, Alex Grosby; her siblings: Martin Magoun, Stefanie Metalious, Lisa Niles Bisbee, Mark Niles, and John-o Niles and friends, cousins, and found family who loved her fiercely.
Her life was not an easy one, but she approached it with gusto, laughter, joy, and grace. Born to Priscilla LaFleur Metalious and Clinton Brooks Magoun in Denver, Colorado, she lived in California, New Hampshire, and Washington, but Vermont was always her home. She had terrible taste in men and was never married. She danced like nobody was watching, loved music, and followed the Grateful Dead. She has lived in a van, driven across the country multiple times, learned to sail, skied, paraglided, baked bread, and fed people's souls. She loved to swim in rivers, lakes, and the ocean. She was a mermaid, a kitchen witch, and a woman with an adventurous spirit that never dimmed.
She made the Mad River Valley her home for over 40 years, pouring herself into it completely. She was locally celebrated for her hospitality, developed the Warren Store's beloved French bread recipe, and organized hundreds of weddings and events at The Inn at the Round Barn and The Lareau Farm Inn, making people's most important milestones truly memorable. For 13 years, she served as a volunteer emergency ambulance dispatcher with MRVAS, showing up for her neighbors and tourists in their most vulnerable moments. She quite literally gave the Mad River Valley her life. When her health finally made it impossible to stay, she moved in with Meredith and Alex, leaving behind a community that will not soon reckon with the size of what it lost.
Among friends and family, Lisabeth was known for her generosity of spirit and heart. She gave the best advice and would not let you get away with anything. She opened her home to many - a safe place to laugh, to cry, and to eat a good meal. Her dinner parties were legendary; from Solstice Parties to Goddess Parties, her table was always full of people, food, flowers, and the occasional dog. As a mother, she was unwavering, demanding that her daughter dream big, reach for the stars, and get good grades. As a big sister, she was competitive, supportive, and funny. As a friend, she was simply the best, loyal, kind, and always there for you, even when you weren't there for her. As a woman, she was beautifully complicated and fully, gloriously human. She had a profound effect on many lives, shared her heart with the world, and we are all better for it.
She leaves behind a hole that cannot be filled and a love that cannot be measured. It is impossible to summarize a life like hers in a few words — so we won't try. We'll just miss her.
In honor of her life and memory, The Last Dinner Party, A Celebration of Lisabeth, hosted by Meredith, friends, and family, takes place August 7 from 4 to 8 p.m. at Great Island Common, 301 Wentworth Rd, New Castle, NH 03854. Bring a dish and/or beverage to share, dress to impress, and channel your inner Goddess. RSVP at
In lieu of flowers, please donate to The Mad River Valley Ambulance Service in her name:mrvas.org/donate
