Paul Liss

For those unable to attend, the sharing of memories may be viewed during a live internet stream during this time at https://event.forgetmenotceremonies.com/ceremony?c=e327677b-e322-4cc0-9a70-7a4e43c59b19 (please register ahead of time).

Paul M. Liss age 52, passed away December 1, 2022, after a courageous, year-long battle with colon cancer. Paul was a graduate of UW-Madison in psychology and continued to work at UW as a Systems Engineering Consultant at the Biotechnology Center. He was a co-author of a number of scientific papers, including one on the metabolism of phytopathogenic enterobacteria. He will be missed by his coworkers who found him to always be helpful and exceptionally calm when problems arose.

Paul is survived by his parents, Frederick and Margaret Liss, his sister Ann Liss and her husband Victor-charles Scafati, and by his girlfriend Nell Filbach who aided Paul and gave him great comfort as he grew more ill. He was preceded in death by his wife Kristin Liss who passed away in 2003, and his uncle James Garsombke.

Paul had diverse, lifelong interests, and was deeply immersed in a number of communities in the Madison area. He was an instructor at ZYKFA school in Madison, where he was a disciple of Shifu Nelson Ferreira. Paul was a fierce international competitor revered by his students and opponents. He studied the Northern Shaolin style of martial arts while visiting China, and competed in South America and Europe, becoming a world champion in 2013. He was also highly active in the Dungeon and Dragons role playing community in Madison, sometimes acting as DM in imaginary worlds that he created. He was an avid, well-known player of the multiplayer Pokémon GO, and was a frequent guest of alternative music clubs in Madison and Milwaukee.

He will be greatly missed by his friends, colleagues, students, family, and girlfriend. Paul paid close attention to maintaining his health and fitness and would want all who have survived him to raise their awareness of colon cancer and the methods of early detection that are available.

A Celebration of Life for family and friends will start at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, January 8, 2023 at Cress Funeral & Cremation Service, 3610 Speedway Road, Madison with sharing of memories starting at 2:00 p.m. until 3:30 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to: UW Foundation, U.S. Bank Lockbox, Box  78807, Milwaukee WI 53278-0807.  Please ask that the gifts be directed to Colon Cancer Research in Memory of Paul M. Liss.

Cress Funeral & Cremation Service

3610 Speedway Road  Madison

(608) 238-3434