Lisa Liseno

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our wonderful and beautiful daughter and sister Dr. Lisa Ann (Watkins) Liseno, 54, who passed away on March 12, 2023, after a fall in her home in Crawfordville, Fla. She was born on May 1, 1968, in Sturgeon Bay, Wis., to Norm and Mabel Watkins. Lisa was wickedly smart, funny, strong-willed, fiercely assertive in the face of injustice and cared deeply about others. She truly lit up the lives of all who had the good fortune to meet her and made friends everywhere she went. She loved swimming; great books and music; and her pet cats, George and Weezee. She overcame a lot of adversity. She was stricken with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis when she was 8 and battled it her entire life. While it severely limited her mobility and caused her a lot of pain, it couldn’t touch her spirit and didn’t affect her glowing personality or her determination. She got her bachelor’s degree from Carroll College (now Carroll University) in Waukesha, Wis., with a double major in journalism and philosophy. She earned her master’s degree in philosophy from Northern Illinois University and her doctorate in philosophy from Florida State University. She was a faculty member at Florida State for more than 15 years and was most recently assistant dean at Florida State’s Graduate School, director of the Program for Instructional Excellence and the Fellows Society, and faculty advisor for the Diversity and Inclusion in Research and Teaching Organization. She was preceded in death by her husband, John Liseno. They were married in September 2007 in Sturgeon Bay. Lisa served as vice president of John the Painter, the commercial painting business John started in Tallahassee, while she also worked at FSU. She ran the business for a few years after John passed away in January 2014 after a long battle with pulmonary fibrosis and a lung transplant. The two were inseparable and shared many adventures riding John’s Harley-Davidson. They were clearly the loves of each other’s lives. Lisa is survived by her parents, Norm and Mabel Watkins; her brothers, Dan (Sherry) Watkins and Steve (Kelly Leon) Watkins; sister Robin (Nick) Watkins-Mitchell; nephews Elliot Watkins and Ian Mitchell; nieces Cheyenne Watkins and Jasmine Mitchell; and numerous cousins, aunts and uncles. A memorial service will be held May 20, 2023, in Crawfordville at the United Methodist Church at 11:00 a.m. with luncheon to follow. Donations in lieu of flowers can be made to https://everloved.com/life-of/lisa-liseno/ to be used for an FSU scholarship foundation in Lisa's name, or to the Arthritis Foundation (https://www.arthritis.org/donate) in her memory. Skip & Trey Young along with Paula and Kimberly are assisting the family. Family Funeral Home at Harvey Young Chapel. 850-926-5919 Familyfhc.com

Lisa Liseno

May 1, 1968 - March 12, 2023