The Hockaday School lost one of its most influential leaders when Elizabeth “Liza” Lee passed away on September 12, 2026. Her decades of work changed how young women learn science, math, and technology in Dallas.
Liza took over as headmistress at Hockaday in 1990. Over the next 14 years, she modernized academic programs across the board. She brought in block scheduling to give teachers more time with students and upgraded the campus arts and engineering courses.
Her fundraising efforts changed the physical look of the school. She led The Hockaday Tomorrow Campaign, which brought new computer tech into classrooms. That campaign also funded the building that now bears her name, the Liza Lee Academic Research Center.
Her work reached far past Texas. Liza served as the head of the Columbus School for Girls in Ohio for several years. She also led other schools as an interim director and sat on national independent school boards across the country.
When Hockaday needed steady leadership in 2015, Liza returned as interim headmistress for two years. She helped guide the school through its Centennial Campaign and built programs that connected students to local service projects.
Her own schooling started in New York City, where she graduated from The Brearley School in 1961. She went on to complete her undergraduate work at Mount Holyoke College and earned her master’s degree at Columbia University.
Her family announced that friends and former students can pay their respects on Saturday, October 3, 2026. The 2:00 p.m. service will be held at the Nancy A. Nasher and David J. Haemisegger Family Theater in Dallas, with a reception following at the research center.
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