Nicholas J. Lisi, Phila. lawyer, dies at 68
LIKE ALL PHILLIES fans, Nicholas J. Lisi had his ups and downs with the team over the years, but he had the pleasure of watching the boys on their way to World Series victories in 1980 and last year.
LIKE ALL PHILLIES fans, Nicholas J. Lisi had his ups and downs with the team over the years, but he had the pleasure of watching the boys on their way to World Series victories in 1980 and last year.
He attended the first game of the 1980 World Series, which the Phillies won, 7-6, over the Kansas City Royals at Veterans Stadium. The team went on to win the series four games to two.
Then last year, he attended the third game of the series, which the Phillies won, 5-4, over the Tampa Bay Rays at Citizens Bank Park, then went on to take the series, four games to one.
Nicholas Lisi, a prominent Philadelphia lawyer who translated his love of baseball to coaching Little League for several years, died Saturday after a long battle with cancer. He was 68 and lived in Wayne.
He was born in Vineland, N.J., and earned his bachelor's degree at La Salle University in 1962. He received his law degree from Boston College Law School in 1965.
He was an assistant public defender for the state of New Jersey and a partner in a litigation firm in Millville until he moved his practice to Philadelphia. He was a partner in the law firm of Padova & Lisi.
An active trial lawyer, he was a member of the American Trial Lawyers Association, the Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association and the Philadelphia Trial Lawyers Association.
He also was a member of the National Italian American Bar Association, as well as the Justinian Society, an organization of Italian-American lawyers. He served on its board of governors from 1984 to this year, and as chancellor from 1992 to 1994.
Nicholas was also active in the Philadelphia Bar Association, serving on the board of governors from 1995 to 1997. He also was a two-term member of the Philadelphia Judicial Selection and Retention Commission, which he chaired in 2001.
As a trial lawyer, one of his more interesting cases came in 1982 when he represented a woman who was suing comedian Buddy Hackett for calling her nasty names in the Superstar Theater at Resorts Casino-Hotel.
A jury in U.S. District Court cleared Hackett of impugning the woman's reputation even though Lisi got the comedian to admit that he might have called her a "whacko."
In addition to his involvement with the legal community, Nicholas was also a very active alumnus of both La Salle University and Boston College.
He served on La Salle's board of trustees from 2002 through 2007. He was involved in the La Salle University Alumni Association, serving as president from 1997 to 1999.
Nicholas was a delegate to the Boston College Law School Alumni Association, and was a founding member and first president of the Philadelphia area chapter.
He received a Distinguished Alumni Award as part of Boston College Law School's 75th anniversary celebration.
He married the former Marie Elena Santoro in 1966.
Nicholas enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren, working in his garden and collecting model trains, as well as kicking back at the Jersey shore.
Besides his wife, he is survived by a daughter, Kristin Lisi Conway; two sons, Michael D. and Mark A.; a sister, Rose Marie Parenti; a brother, Joseph, and six grandchildren.
Services: Funeral Mass 10 a.m. Thursday at St. John Neumann Church, 330 Highland Ave., Bryn Mawr. Friends may call at 6 p.m. tomorrow at the D'Anjolell Memorial Home of Broomall, 2811 West Chester Pike, Broomall, and at 8:15 a.m. Thursday at the funeral home.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Box 27106, New York, NY 10087. *