Frederick Liss

Frederick M. Liss, age 80, passed away at UW Hospital in Madison WI on March 6, 2023. He was born in Peru, Illinois to Max and Mary Liss. He attended St. Valentine’s school and then St. Bede Academy where he enjoyed his school years and made many lifelong friends. He was fortunate to go to Notre Dame University due to scholarships and the sacrifices of his widowed mother and younger sister, Mary Beth. He earned a BS degree in Mathematics at Notre Dame University and an MS degree at the University of Wisconsin Madison. In 1967 he married Margaret Garsombke and they had two children, Paul and Ann. He was employed first at the former UW Marathon County Campus in Wausau, WI, and then moved on to the UW Rock County Campus in Janesville, WI. He loved teaching all students, but especially returning adult students. He would get excited to see these students successfully completing their required math classes so they could move forward in their education toward their career goals.

Fred enjoyed athletics from playing tennis in high school, to stopping for a game of basketball with other faculty, to swimming, and doing bike rides on many Wisconsin trails. His children went swimming, camping, canoeing, tubing and rafting with him. He enjoyed taking the kids to zoos and amusement parks in various states, and they all loved roller coaster rides, much to the fear of Marge.

He loved plants and belonged to several local plant societies during different parts of his lifetime including the Madison Rose Society, the Madison Iris Society and the Wisconsin Hemerocallis Society, and had leadership roles in them. He had a serious accident which limited his physical activities and gardening. He became more interested in reading, joining PLATO (a learning-in-retirement group at UW), learning more about investments, and watching sports on television.

Survivors include his wife Margaret, daughter Ann Liss (Victor-charles Scafati), sister Mary Beth Liss, niece Kate Quarion (Joe), grand-nephews Reed and Finn, sister-in-law Jolie Garsombke, and other family, friends and acquaintances. He was preceded in death by his parents, his son Paul Liss, his daughter-in-law Kristen Liss, and his brother-in-law Jim Garsombke.

A visitation for Fred on Tuesday, March 14, at ST. THOMAS AQUINAS CATHOLIC CHURCH, 602 Everglade Dr., from 10:30-11:30 am.  Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11:30 am.   For those that would like to join us remotely, please do so at: https://www.youtube.com/@StThomasAquinasChurchMadison .  Interment will follow subsequently at Resurrection Cemetery. Please share your memories at www.cressfuneralservice.com

In lieu of flowers, memorials in Fred’s name may be made to Notre Dame University ( https://giving.nd.edu/ )  or to St. Bede Academy ( https://www.st-bede.com/give-now ) .

Cress Funeral & Cremation Service

3610 Speedway Road  Madison

(608) 238-3434