Paul E. Liebig
Paul E. Liebig, 69, of Kearney, Nebraska passed away peacefully June 9, 2021, at his home surrounded by his family after a courageous battle with cancer.
Son of Dan and Joanne Liebig, Paul was born on Nov. 6, 1951, as the second of four children. He grew up on a wheat farm and cattle ranch outside of Wauneta, Nebraska. Farm life brought with it many chores and responsibilities that helped shape the man Paul was.
He took pride in being a leader on the football field and graduated from Wauneta High School in 1970. Paul earned a bachelor’s degree from Kearney State College and a master’s degree from the University of Nebraska at Kearney. He retired from Ceridian in 2017 after a 37-year career in management consulting.
Jan and Paul met while working for Ceridian in Lincoln and were married on Dec. 22, 1984. Paul and Jan’s passions and gifts were a compliment to each other, and they enjoyed travelling, exercising and hosting Bible studies together.
A man who truly lived his values, Paul took his faith in God and membership in the Catholic church very seriously. As an active member of Prince of Peace Catholic Church, he found his calling mentoring other men in their faith journeys, advocating for strong marriages, and was instrumental in forming the Watchmen men’s group.
Paul’s hobbies all shared one attribute – productivity. He enjoyed running marathons, working in the yard, hanging Christmas lights on individual clips, making apple crisp to use up the apples from his trees, washing dishes by hand, and juicing fresh fruits and vegetables. Paul never missed a harvest in Wauneta and spent many hours helping manage the family farm operation from afar.
More than anything else, though, Paul cherished his family. From coaching softball teams to climbing 14ers, he looked for any opportunity to spend time with his daughters. Known as “Papa” to his five grandkids, Paul made it a point to spend quality time with each child to help instill strong values in their lives. The sound of laughter would fill the room when Papa played hide and seek or engaged the kids with silly voices.
He is survived by his wife, Jan Liebig of Kearney; daughters, Kristin (Cory) Barry of Omaha and Laura (Stuart) Hoffman of Kearney; grandchildren, Jase Hoffman, Jillian Barry, Elliana Hoffman, Eleanor Barry and Luke Hoffman; and sisters, Mary Kay (Forrest) Lauher of Schulenburg, Texas and Roseanne (Bill) Benzel of Waynesville, Missouri.
Paul was preceded in death by his parents, Dan and Joanne, and his brother, Thomas Liebig.
Mass of Christian Burial was held Tuesday morning, June 15 at Prince of Peace Catholic Church in Kearney with Fr. Paul Colling and Fr. Sagar officiating. Burial followed the service at the Kearney Cemetery. Visitation and a vigil service were held Monday evening.
Memorials are suggested to Prince of Peace Catholic Church to help fund small groups and Bible studies.
Online tributes or messages of condolence may be left at www.hlmkfuneral.com. Horner Lieske McBride and Kuhl Funeral and Cremation Services in Kearney are in charge of arrangements.