Alice Mai "Lyssa" Whitson

Alice Whitson ObituaryVisit the Hillier Funeral Home & Cremations - Bryan website to view the full obituary.Alice Mai V "Lyssa" Arzani Whitson, a gifted violinist, devoted mother, and passionate lover of music and tennis, passed away peacefully on March 1, 2026, after a period of declining health. She was 60 years old.Born in Syracuse, New York, in 1965 to Alice Mai IV and Gessler Arzani, Lyssa grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina, where her early love for music blossomed. A talented violinist from a young age, she attended the North Carolina School of the Arts for high school. She went on to earn her undergraduate degree from the St. Louis Conservatory, spent a formative year studying at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria, and completed her master's degree in violin performance at the Mannes College of Music in New York City.Among the highlights of her musical career was performing at Lincoln Center under the baton of the legendary Leonard Bernstein-a moment she cherished, and which her husband often recounted with pride. Lyssa loved classical music, and taught hundreds of students, both privately and in public schools, bringing the works of the great composers to life with her vivacity, encyclopedic insight, and infectious joy. Whether performing, teaching, or attending concerts, she was a true connoisseur who inspired respect and love for the genre in everyone around her.Lyssa's other great passion was tennis. She was a fierce and joyful competitor on the court, cherished by her longtime teammates-"my girls," as she fondly called them. They shared matches, tournaments big and small, and life's laughter and tears right up to the end. Her family is deeply grateful for the warmth, selflessness, and unwavering support these dear friends provided throughout her life.Lyssa married her high school sweetheart, Mark, in 1990, beginning a loving partnership that spanned decades. Together they raised three devoted sons-Connor, Stone, and Turner-who were the center of her world. From North Carolina, to Japan, to Florida and then Texas, nothing brought her greater happiness than her children; her family was her greatest joy and legacy.And here are facts those who knew her well know to be true:• She loved her dogs as much as her children (and more so than some people she knew…).• She loved to clean – it was her zen.• She found ways to celebrate even the smallest events, sharing her joie de vivre with everyone around her.• She had a sophisticated and sublime sense of humor – only ever so slightly wicked, Lyssa was quick to laugh, sometimes to blush, but never cruel or mean.• She was a perpetual motion machine – she started every day by making a to-do list, and then attacked her days with gusto…• …but never before coffee! Preferably, two.• She was intensely loyal, the fiercest advocate and ally a friend could ever ask for.• She was stylish and beautiful, and wanted everything and everyone else to be that way, too.Lyssa is survived by her husband, Mark; her three heartbroken sons, Connor, Stone, and Turner; her mother, Alice Mai IV Arzani; and her brothers, Gerry Arzani and Eric Arzani.Her spirit-vibrant, deeply musical, and always with an appreciation for the finest things -will live on in the hearts of her family, her students, her tennis companions, and all who were fortunate enough to know her. She will be profoundly missed.Read The Full ObituaryTo plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.