Lisa Rackle Ben-Dov, whose life included a distinguished professional career in New York with a deep-rooted philanthropic presence in Virginia hunting country, died unexpectedly on December 7, 2025, just months after braving cancer.
Lisa was born on March 21, 1945 in Atlanta to Eugene Emile Rackle and Mabel Claire Moody Rackle and grew up in Metairie, a suburb of New Orleans. She graduated from St. Martin’s Protestant Episcopal School in 1962 and went on to earn a Bachelor of Business Administration from Loyola University.
Drawn to the opportunities and pace of New York City, Lisa arrived there in the early 1970s, where she worked as a secretary at Continental Grain Company. It was a humble start at a sprawling, privately held global commodities firm. But she steadily rose through the ranks, and after working in nearly every role within her department, she became vice president of insurance, where she oversaw the company’s extensive international property and casualty program.
In the early 1980s, Lisa was introduced to the man who would later become her husband in New York by her best friend. Zohar Ben-Dov, an Israeli immigrant who came to the United States in search of the American Dream. He was attracted to her strength, independence, quirky charm and impeccable Southern manners. They married in an intimate ceremony at the River Cafe. This cemented their spicy and irreverent 40-year love affair.
Equestrian sports quickly gave a new shape to their lives. Zohar’s interest in fox hunting inspired Lisa to learn to ride at Claremont Stables in New York and they soon went fox hunting together across the state. Lisa and Zohar fell in love with the sport and in 1986 the couple purchased Kinross Farm, 500 acres in Middleburg, Virginia, where they became active in the famous Virginia Hunts. Kinross became known as a world-class training and hunting facility. Lisa embraced the sport with passion, grace and… humor and as a former hunter and close friend said, “My God! She was so elegant on a horse” and tough as hell. As Lisa once wrote, “In 38 years I had never had a broken bone, but it has been an annual occurrence since then.”
Legendary for her hospitality and warmth, Lisa brought people together with her no-nonsense straightforwardness and graciousness. Zohar and Lisa have been organizing their annual hunting breakfast since 1989. In honor of her New Orleans upbringing, Lisa served stiff drinks, jambalaya and crawfish, along with ham biscuits, banana pudding and horse biscuits.
Lisa and Zohar then entered the world of American tower racing with a clear sense of purpose and ambition. From Kinross they bred and raced horses that would win many of the sport’s most demanding challenges, including the Virginia Gold Cup, Iroquois in Nashville and the Colonial Cup in Camden. Their biggest win came in 2024, when their horse Blackhall captured the legendary Maryland Hunt Cup. Lisa watched the replay from home at the time: “I was still nervous even though I knew we had won,” she said. “This is the one to have. It is truly our heart’s desire.”
Lisa’s first stop at every race was to visit her horse and the racing team and treat them to food, drinks and treats. Always superstitious, Lisa looked away during the race and insisted on a play instead.
The Ben-Dovs donated the land for the Middleburg Humane Foundation’s new facility, which opened in 2019 and where Lisa served as a founding board member. She later established the Irving Endowment Fund in honor of their favorite dog, ensuring its long-term sustainability. Many rescue dogs found their permanent homes in Kinross, where they lived under her loving care.
Lisa dedicated her life to the well-being of animals large and small and to supporting those in need. Her philanthropy touched almost every corner of the Middelburg community. Among the many organizations she served: the A Place to Be music therapy program, the Seven Loaves food bank, Middleburg FISH and the Windy Hill Foundation, to which the Ben-Dov’s donated both land and funding to provide affordable housing to the community. Lisa held directorships at the Middleburg Community Center and the Middleburg Tennis Club, where she was known for her fierce left-handed cross-court forehand. She also served as vice president of the Luminescence Foundation, supporting conservation efforts for endangered wildlife, particularly the mountain gorillas of Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Lisa’s most lasting legacy may lie in the quiet, often invisible benevolence she showed to individuals and families enduring hardship. She provided tuition, financial support, mentorship, and moreover, companionship to those she touched. Lisa opened her home freely, especially during the holidays, which she cherished, to the extended family and to those who would otherwise have spent them alone.
When asked to reflect on her life at a recent high school reunion, Lisa came up with a quote: “Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a well-preserved body, but rather of skidding broadside, utterly fed up, utterly exhausted and loudly proclaiming, ‘Wow, what a ride!’” What a ride indeed.
Lisa is survived by her beloved husband Zohar, her loving stepdaughters Tamar and Ariella Ben-Dov, dear brother Eugene Emile Rackle Jr. and his wife Karen, her beloved goddaughter Michal Duvdevani Mesika and her husband Avi, her cherished godson Spencer Bryan and goddaughter Olivia Muss, eight adoring grandchildren, and her beloved rescue dog Max. She will be missed by countless others in her community and beyond.
A celebration of her life will take place in the spring. In lieu of flowers, contributions in her honor may be made to the Middleburg Humane Foundation, PO Box 684 Marshall, VA. 20116.
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