Serge Ramon Lisk

Sergé Ramon Lisk died at his home in Morris, Minnesota, in the early morning hours on Monday, May 16th, after a courageous battle with an aggressive form of lymphoma. He is survived by his wife of 37 years, Jacqueline Rae Johnson, and his five beloved children: Sebastien (Battseren) Lisk, Chicago, Illinois; Chai Lisk, Portland, Oregon; Kassia (Chad) Williams, Conklin, Michigan and granddaughter Klara Rose Williams; Simeon (Elizabeth) Lisk, Sheldon, Iowa; and Nadia Johnson-Lisk, Chicago, Illinois. He is also survived by his dear friend Richard Ranta of Grand Rapids; a brother, Dmitri Lisquez; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, brother Boris Loam, and sister Rhea Wenzel. Born in Grand Rapids, MI, February 11, 1944, to Russian & Cuban immigrants Olga Balbot & Luis Ramon Lisquez, Sergé was the youngest of four children. After high school, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and honorably served his country as a Division 2 Corporal, completing two tours of duty in the Vietnam Conflict. After returning to civilian life, he attended Grand Valley State University's Thomas Jefferson College, then found his calling in the trades and eventually became a Master Electrician and contractor and established a business, E-Z Electric, which he ran until his retirement in 2008. He was a member of the Michigan Amateur Radio Association and the Fraternal Order of Masons. He enjoyed finding creative solutions to complex problems, could fix anything, and, as a small-airplane pilot, loved flying his single-engine Mooney. Sergé's being and his sometimes irreverent spirit will remain present after his death in many ways—apparent in the creative and independent spirit of his children, the love and respect of his wife, family, and friends, and captured in the Hank Williams, Jr. song, "Family Tradition." Baptized Russian Orthodox Christian, he was a lifetime member of the church his family helped build and maintain throughout seven decades - St. John's Chrysostom Russian Orthodox Church of Grand Rapids, MI. Sergé's life was guided by family, loyalty, a nonconformist spirit, courage, and perseverance. He spent the last three years designing and building a home for his family on Bois Blanc Island, Michigan in the Mackinac Straits: the wood was his medium; the building his canvas. He was a craftsman in the true sense of the word and the building will persist for generations as his legacy. His life will be honored in a private service in Michigan. The family requests that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Sustainable Green Fund at the University of Minnesota, Morris, or to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.