Steven William Bayliss

The world has suffered a great loss with the untimely passing of Steve Bayliss. Steve was a brilliant man, full of enthusiasm for life, who could always be relied on for his thoughtfulness and generosity. Surviving a life threatening illness at the age of 24, Steve’s confrontation with his mortality inspired him to live each day as a gift, approaching the rest of his life with immense gratitude and optimism. When called upon by friends or family during times of need, Steve would always show up with a calm, steady presence.

Steve had a very keen sense for how things worked and loved problem solving. He could fix just about anything and had a strong desire to always be working on a project (though he sometimes took a “creative” approach to electrical work). A bit nerdy and endlessly curious, he loved to learn and wasn’t afraid to share his knowledge, even when it was just an educated guess. By extension, Steve relished turning just about any conversation into a friendly debate. He was also a skilled storyteller and his intelligent humor could make any accounting of life events or adversities entertaining. People genuinely enjoyed him.

With deep humility, never acknowledging his own hard work and perseverance, his motto was, “$#!+ just works out for me!” And generally, it did.

Steve was born in Milwaukee and lived the majority of his life in Richfield, WI, in the house his father Jack built. Raised in a crowd, the fourth of eight children, he learned self-reliance and how to go with the flow.

He began working in the family greenhouse business as a youngster, continuing into his early adulthood. Restless with that work, and passionate about technology, he taught himself multiple computer programming languages. Honing his skills, he worked at several software development companies before starting his own in partnership with good friends. The company was recently sold-- a testament to their success.

There were many things that fed Steve’s zest for life. He covered countless miles on trails with his beloved dogs. Music was central to his spirit, with a talent for playing keyboards totally by ear. He took every opportunity to be on the golf course, for the love of the game, the beauty of the course, and the companionship of his good buddies. He was blessed with many deep friendships.

Steve raised two exceptional, beautiful and hilarious [obituary-writing] daughters, Jamie and Jessica, with his first wife, Chris. He loved being a dad. He shared with them his silliness and things he was passionate about, like music, skiing, volleyball, and golf (though golf never quite took). He taught them how to be independent, critical thinkers.

In May of 2009, Steve met the love of his life, Kelly. They married and Steve embraced becoming a dad again, helping to raise Kelly’s two young children, Sal and Shea. Steve was a steady and supportive presence in their lives, attending many hours of volleyball games, teaching practical life skills, and always making them feel loved and accepted.

Kelly and Steve made each other so happy. Together they had many beautiful adventures, traveling, camping, hiking and proudly braving Mount Rainier. Several winter escapes were spent in their favorite destination, New Smyrna Beach. Kelly inspired Steve to grow in many ways, but most notably, her culinary skills turned him from an extraordinarily picky eater into a veritable foodie. Ultimately, Kelly and Steve were often homebodies because their favorite thing was just being in each other’s company. Steve always said he was the “lucky one” for finding Kelly; Kelly insists that she was the “lucky one.”

Steve passed away on March 12, 2026, due to multiple complications after open heart surgery. Steve is survived by his wife, Kelly Bayliss; his children, Jamie Bayliss (Zack Goehner), Jessica Bayliss (Patrick O’Riley), Sal Lauria and Shea Lauria; his siblings Peggy Judge (Dan), Katie Bayliss (Tom Mann), Dave Bayliss (JoAnn Goetzke), Mary Jones (Danny), Sara Mierow (Mike); and his many nieces and nephews. Steve especially adored his five grandchildren, Luke, Addie, Jack, Will, and Oona.

Steve was preceded in death by his parents, Jack and Betty; his brothers John and Paul; his nephew Nathan Bayliss; his niece Margaret Judge; and his former wife, Christine Bayliss.

He will be greatly missed.

A celebration of Steve’s life will be planned for later this summer, with details to follow.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Wisconsin Regional Training Partnership, a cause Steve believed in. https://wrtp.org/donate/