Lishan grew up in Taiwan and received her B.A. in Foreign Languages at the National Taiwan University. She obtained her Masters degree in Journalism from University of Illinois where she met her husband, Jenfu Yau. She also earned an MBA from the University of Cincinnati.
Lishan started her purchasing career at GE in Cincinnati, Ohio and later became the Purchasing Director at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York. In 1999, she moved to the Greenville area where she was the Purchasing Director at Furman University until her retirement in 2015.
Lishan was an active member of the ballroom dance community in the Greenville area. She had many interests and talents including cooking, singing, photography, web design, and event planning. These were highlighted in her contributions to the monthly ballroom social for Studio Rizzuto for which she organized, DJ’d, cooked, photographed, and assisted teaching. Due to Lishan’s contributions, this dinner dance became the largest ballroom dance social in the Upstate. She took great pleasure in sharing her passions with friends and family.
Lishan is survived by her husband, Jenfu Yau; her son, Loren Kevin Yau, and his wife, Jenny M. Yau; two grandchildren, Elizabeth and Erin Yau; her brother, Chung Yuang Shih; and her sister, Shui-I Shih.
A memorial service will be held on Sunday, April 22nd at 11:00am in the Chapel at Mackey Funerals & Cremations at Century Drive. The family will receive friends prior to the service from 10:00-10:45am.
