Lisa Anne McMillen, 32, of Arlington, Virginia died peacefully in her sleep Friday, May 15, 2015, in her home, surrounded by her family. Lisa fought a courageous battle against Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. Born May 13, 1983, Lisa was the wife of Sean P. Galvin and daughter of Angela McMillen Ayres of Arlington, Virginia and John T. McMillen of Medina.
Lisa graduated from Our Lady of the Elms High School in Akron in 2001. In 2005, she graduated from the College of Wooster, where she majored in business economics and political science and was a member of the Delta Theta Psi sorority. She earned a Master’s Degree from the John Glenn School of Public Affairs – The Ohio State University.
Lisa retired from the U.S. Government Accountability Office in Washington D.C. in April, 2015, after a seven year career as a senior defense analyst, which brought her around the world to the Middle East and Europe. She was deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan four times for extended periods in the service of her country.
Lisa was a wonderful cook who enjoyed volunteering with Yellow Ribbon Fund, reading and raising awareness for ALS. Prior to the onset of ALS, Lisa was an avid runner and played kickball.
In addition to her husband and parents, Lisa is survived by her twin sister, Kathryn (Dan Hlavin); her brothers, Steven and Scott; her step-parents, Linda McMillen and Whit Ayers; her step-sister, Hayley Anderson; mother-in-law, Patricia Galvin (Frank) and brothers-in-law, Brian (Erika) and Kyle (Pattie Grant) and nephews, Jack and Henry.
A Celebration of Lisa’s life will be held Saturday, June 20, 2015, at the Fort Myer Officers’ Club, 214 Jackson Ave., Fort Myer, Virginia. Since this is a military base, guests must be registered to attend. Condolences will begin at 2 P.M. and the service will begin at 3 P.M., with a reception afterwards.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to one of the following organizations: ALS Association (be sure to mark it for research) or the ALS Virginia Chapter, which donated technology and medical equipment enabling Lisa to have a better quality of life.
Murphy Funeral Home, Arlington, is handling the arrangements. Online condolences may be expressed on Lisa’s Facebook page or at Murphy Funeral Home.
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