Catherine Edna Tiss

Catherine E. Tiss, August 29, 1938 - May 15, 2019 "Be a lamp, or a lifeboat, or a ladder. Help someone's soul heal. Walk out of your house like a shepherd." -Rumi With her time on earth now complete, our beloved Catherine continues the journey she started over 80 years ago. She passed away peacefully at home, in the farmhouse she and her husband built over four decades ago. Her farmhouse served as a refuge to so many and welcomed all who came. Her final weeks and days were spent surrounded by family, offering her final gift to us all. Catherine especially cherished the time she was able to spend in the arms of her granddaughter, Cate, to whom she whispered, "You are my heart." Catherine was born in 1938 in Long Beach, CA to Frank Cassady and Mary Bishop Cassady. It was her mother who planted the seed of love and service in Catherine's heart. Although her mother died when Catherine was only 17, this seed blossomed and left her with a strong desire to serve those in need. This desire developed into a warm and loving spirit that was shared with her many cherished friends in the Visalia community and beyond, to all of humankind. In 1968, Catherine married Dr. George John Tiss, a Visalia pediatrician and together they raised five children. Besides her children, Catherine's greatest joy came from helping others in material and spiritual need. Together with her husband, George, she founded the Good News Clinic in Visalia, a free medical clinic that helped thousands of underserved people, without regard to means or citizenship status. They also traveled around the world to provide medical care to individuals in regions without medical resources. Catherine had a passion for food justice and worked tirelessly with FoodLink of Tulare County, serving as a board member, but also delivering food to those in need. She would load up her old, blue station wagon and bring holiday meals and gifts to families in the community living with poverty. She was also a volunteer with Kaweah Delta Hospice for many years. Catherine, whose favorite saint was Saint Francis, had a love of nature and all living things. She built a farm that housed many dogs, cats, horses, and other creatures, including many lost strays, whom she could not turn away. She was an avid gardener and orchardist and shared her wealth of knowledge with her children and grandchildren, providing them with an authentic connection to nature. And, she loved roses. She is preceded in death by her first husband, Dr. Daniel E. Pugh, of Boston, her husband Dr. George Tiss, her sister Marilyn Hall, and her beloved cousin, Gertrude Bishop. Catherine now watches over her family here on Earth including her children Randall Tiss, Carolyn Fecera (AJ), Daniel Tiss, Marybeth Lybrand, and Andrew Tiss (Tamara) as well as seven grandchildren and two great grandchildren, goddaughter Isabel Resendiz (Jaime) and three nieces who still call her Aunt Mimi. Services will be held on Saturday, June 1st. There will be a Graveside Service at 9am at The Visalia Cemetery followed by a Celebration of Catherine's Life beginning at 11:30 at St. Anthony's Retreat Center in Three Rivers. All are welcome, of course. In Lieu of Flowers please send gifts to Foodlink of Tulare County. Condolences can be made to www.salseranddillard.com.