Elizabeth Ann Irish

Elizabeth Ann Irish, daughter of John Kenneth and Elizabeth Genave Garling Clegg, peacefully crossed over to a better place on November 24, 2025.

It was way before her time.

She went by “Lisa” for most of her life. As of late, she preferred “Leeza” as it was more dramatic and just fit her. Her immediate family still calls her Elizabeth.

Born in Bloomington, Il, her family moved to Paradise Valley, AZ in 1964. She graduated from ASU with a Theater Major. Her parents were actively involved in the arts in Arizona, both having multiple degrees in classical music. Her father was an opera singer and sang throughout Europe. His devotion to his craft instilled Elizabeth with a lifelong love of opera, theatre, and music of all types. Country music was her most recent love. In her younger years she was active in the Phoenix Little Theatre and performed in several productions. She even did a small stint as a cocktail waitress in the Phoenix Playboy Club, until her dad found out.

She left Arizona in the early eighties for a big adventure in California, meeting her husband there. She returned to Arizona with her husband and family in 2000 to care for her mother until she passed.

Elizabeth was incredibly independent and had a passion to be involved and live life to the fullest; to be a doer. She always appreciated fine cars and loved to drive them fast. Especially her Porsche, of which she had several during her life. She had such a great sense of humor and was quick to laugh, and made others laugh. She had an uncanny ability to quickly cut to the essence of issues and readily offer unique and insightful perspectives on any situation that might arise. She was never hesitant to let you know exactly where she stood on issues.

Elizabeth worked beside her husband at their in-home care company, Family Home Care, in their offices in California and Arizona for 35+ years. Quasi-retired for the last few years, she was adventuresome, experiential, and wanted to be active. She challenged herself to learn to do different things and had a “live a full life” attitude. She loved horseback riding, practicing at the gun range (as much as possible), line dancing every Tuesday night, and did volunteer work in the Turquoise Rodeo circuit. She was actively engaged in Arizona Republican politics on so many different levels and in so many different campaigns. She enjoyed being a greeter at the Mesa Republican Women’s monthly meetings. She had a gift for meeting and interacting with people. Whether she knew them or not, she made people feel at ease and welcome. She wanted to try axe throwing, learn how to throw a knife, and learn archery in 2026.

She was a connoisseur of fashion and style and was an avid seamstress who made all her own clothes. Importing her fabrics from all over the world, she loved to dress up and go out. She was a collector of fine women’s cowboy boots and seemed to have a pair for every occasion. She always tried to make fashion statements, because that’s who she was.

In addition to all of this, she had a passion for international travel. She made sure she traveled internationally at least two or three times a year. Her favorite destinations included Cancun (at least once a year every year since 1987), Amsterdam (she called the Dutch, “my people”), Paris, Florence, Rome, and Venice. Life was always an adventure for her, and she lived it to the fullest.

Elizabeth was fiercely protective and enthusiastic about her family. She was passionately revered as a wife, and profoundly loved as a mother, stepmother, nana, and sister. Elizabeth and her adoring husband were together for 39+ wonderful and exciting years.

Elizabeth is survived by her husband Don Irish; their daughter Alexandria; six stepchildren (who she helped raise since they were little): Michele, Brian, Michael, Paul, Jonathan & Diana;  25 grandchildren and even a few great-grandchildren; her two brothers David J. Clegg and William “Bill” Clegg; and countless friends and extended family who will miss her dearly.

We invite all who knew and loved Elizabeth to join us in honoring her memory.

An open-house celebration for Elizabeth’s exceptional life will be held January 17th, 2026 from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM at the Vistas Pavillion at the Las Sendas Golf Course.

Elizabeth will be greatly missed…but forever remembered.

In lieu of flowers or gifts, the family has requested that a donation to the Arizona Opera be made in memory of Elizabeth’s extraordinary life, and her love of the arts.

Donation information can be found here: https://tickets.azopera.org/donate/contribute1

Arrangements by Bunker’s Garden Chapel, www.bunkerfuneral.com. Should this obituary appear anywhere but bunkerfuneral.com, please check our website for accurate details and service information.