Shelly Emmanuel Liss

Shelly Emmanuel Liss was born in Detroit, Michigan, on May 26, 1936, to Maryann Sandweiss Liss and Ira Jacob Liss, the first of two children. He passed away on Tuesday, September 2, 2025, in Houston, Texas, surrounded by his family. He graduated from San Jacinto High School, University of Texas, and Baylor College of Medicine and completed his residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Shelly met Barbara Lackshin in 1949, when he was 13 and she was 11. They met at services at Emanu El. Nineteen years later, they married on June 13, 1968. They had two children, Neil and Shannon. Shelly practiced first at Rosewood Hospital and later at Memorial Southwest Hospital and founded Rehabilitation Associates, joined by his friends from his residency, Dan Morrison and Bob Sine. The group would grow to include nine physicians and provide care for patients in Houston and in the surrounding areas. A respected and well loved leader in his field, Shelly started rehabilitation programs across the city. His career was devoted to helping severely injured patients, including stroke victims and those who had suffered back injuries and other serious injuries, to recover their daily lives and return to work. He was proud to be able to assist his patients, who may otherwise have remained disabled, regain their livelihoods and their ability to support their families. After retiring, Shelly founded the Retired Physicians' Organization (RPO) of the Harris County Medical Society in 1995, bringing together retired physicians throughout Houston for fellowship, support, and volunteer opportunities. For more than 16 years, Shelly devoted himself to the group, organizing an impressive roster of dynamic speakers for their monthly lunches, publishing a newsletter, and paving the way for retired physicians to continue giving back to their communities. In 2016, Shelly was honored by the RPO with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his leadership and commitment to the organization. Shelly was preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by his loving wife of 57 years, Barbara Liss, his beloved children and their spouses: Neil Liss (Layli) and Shannon Liss-Riordan (Kevin), and his sister Victoria Herzberg and brother-in-law Don Herzberg. He is also survived by many cousins and his adored 3 grandchildren: Shane, Myles, and Jordan Liss-Riordan. A funeral service was held on Thursday, September 4, 2025, in the Kagan-Rudy Chapel at Emanu El Memorial Park, 8341 Bissonnet St., Houston, Texas 77074. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Shelly's memory to a charity of your choice. To plant trees in his memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Shelly Emmanuel Liss

May 26, 1936 - September 2, 2025