Lisina M. Hoch died peacefully at her home in Irvington, N.Y., on Feb. 15. She was 89.

Lisina spent her summers in Chilmark on Seven Gates Farm. Her concern for conservation on the Island fueled her support of the Vineyard Conservation Society and the Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation. She was a close friend of Polly and Julian Hill and one of the earliest supporters of the Polly Hill Arboretum, helping to launch its evolution into a renowned center of botanical research and education. She was a member of the Edgartown Yacht Club.

Born in Switzerland, she was the eldest of three daughters. Her father, Fritz von Schulthess, was the founder of the Swiss import/export firm DESCO. Her mother, Monica (Page), was the granddaughter of George H. Page, an American who brought condensed milk technology to Switzerland in 1866. Lisina went to school in the UK and then to New York to study interior design. There she met Frank W. Hoch on a blind date organized by mutual Swiss friends, and they married in 1951.

Lisina exuded charisma and adventure. She became a member of the Explorers Club and organized many trips for her family and friends, from pack trips in the Rockies to Christmas in the Galapagos and treks in the Himalayas. One of her classmates in England was a Bhutanese woman, who returned to Bhutan, married the Crown Prince and became Queen. When Lisina and Frank first visited her in the 1950s, a lifelong love of, and relationship with, Bhutan and its people began. At that time, almost no one had heard of the landlocked kingdom and reaching the capital of Thimphu required a grueling six-day trek over Himalayan passes. The 8mm films and photographs of their early trips now serve as historic documents of a land which, in just 60 years, has transitioned from a medieval Buddhist kingdom to a vibrant nation whose king coined the development term Gross National Happiness. Lisina visited Bhutan numerous times over 60 years and hosted Bhutanese visitors at her homes in Irvington and on Martha’s Vineyard. The family friendship with the Bhutanese people remains active and now encompasses four generations of the family.

Known for her leadership in philanthropy, Lisina gave her time, energy and passion to the causes to which she was devoted. She served on numerous boards and as a volunteer for local, national and international organizations, and her leadership in responsible and unselfish generosity has inspired many to be philanthropic. Her strategy was to give seed money to early stage projects, so they could leverage into grants from large donors or foundations. One example is Exodus Transitional Community, which helps formerly incarcerated individuals transition back to normal life, including reintegrating with families, job training and counseling.

Lisina was a life trustee of the Bhutan Foundation, a life trustee of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, director emerita of Scenic Hudson, and an honorary life trustee of The Asia Society. In 2010, she was honored as Philanthropist of the Year by the Westchester Association of Development Officers, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of fundraising and philanthropy in the Hudson Valley. Lisina, together with her late husband Frank, was a longtime supporter of Phelps Memorial Hospital in Sleepy Hollow, N.Y., supporting emergency services and training.

Survivors include her four children, Steven, Alix, Daphne and Roland, their spouses and 11 grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory can be made to the Polly Hill Arboretum (www.pollyhillarboretum.org) or the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (www.whoi.edu).