Nicholas J. Lisi, 68, Phila. lawyer

Nicholas J. Lisi, 68, of Wayne, a Philadelphia lawyer, died of colorectal cancer Saturday at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City.

From 1995 to 1997, Mr. Lisi was on the board of governors of the Philadelphia Bar Association, and from 1992 to 1994 he was chancellor of the Justinian Society of Philadelphia, an organization of Italian American lawyers.

In 2002, the La Salle University Alumni Association gave him its John J. Finley Award.

Born in Vineland, N.J., Mr. Lisi earned his pre-law bachelor's degree from what is now La Salle University in 1962 and graduated from Boston College Law School in 1965.

From 1965 to 1972, Mr. Lisi worked with a Millville, N.J., law firm, and from 1967 to 1972 he was an assistant public defender in Millville and Atlantic City.

From 1972 until his death, his son Michael said, Mr. Lisi was a named partner in several Center City law firms, most recently Padova & Lisi.

He was a member of the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and American trial lawyers associations and a member of the National Italian American Bar Association.

President of the La Salle alumni association from 1997 to 1999, he was on the school's board of trustees from 2002 through 2007 and was a founding member of La Salle's chapter of Sigma Phi Lambda fraternity.

The founder and first president of the Philadelphia-area chapter of the Boston College Law School Alumni Association, Mr. Lisi received a distinguished alumnus award during the school's 75th anniversary.

From 1978 to 1982, he was a Little League coach in Drexel Hill.

Besides his son, he is survived by his wife of 43 years, Marie Elena; another son, Mark; a daughter, Kristin Conway; a sister; a brother; and six grandchildren.

A viewing will be from 6 to 9 p.m. tomorrow and 8:15 to 9:15 a.m. Thursday at the D'Anjolell Memorial Home, 2811 West Chester Pike, Broomall, followed by a 10 a.m. Funeral Mass at St. John Neumann Church, 380 Highland Lane, Bryn Mawr.