Obituary of Isabell Woller

Norman Dean Home For Services 16 Righter Avenue Denville, New Jersey 07834 (973) 627-1880 Daily Record 1x Wednesday @ Picture Star Ledger 1x Thursday @ Picture Isabell Woller, Age 76 Denville, NJ (Marion) Isabell Noble Woller (“Isabell”) died of chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder on Sunday, February 22, 2009 at Merry Heart of Boonton. She was 76 years old. Isabell was born in Shaker Heights, Ohio to Marion F. Manning Noble and Edson J. Noble, in 1932. She was a gifted pianist but chose to pursue a degree in architecture rather than pursue a professional career as a musician. She graduated from Cornell University with a Bachelor of Arts in architecture, Class of 1954. She was a member of the Alpha Phi sorority, where she made many lifelong friends. Isabell’s 1955 marriage to Donald R. Makuen ended in divorce in 1970, when she relocated from the Midwest to Boonton, NJ with her three children. Ultimately the family settled in Denville, NJ, in Indian Lake, in 1972. She met and married Seymour M. Woller (“Sy”) in 1978. Sy died in 1999. Isabell became a librarian, working first at the Denville Public Library, and then, having obtained her MLS degree from Rutgers in the late 1970s, working at Upsala College in East Orange, NJ. When that college went out of existence, Isabell was a full tenured professor. In addition to having worked as a librarian, she taught study skills to the students at Upsala. Isabell and Sy were very active in choral music, having met originally at Masterwork Chorus. Isabell continued to sing actively with many other local singing groups including The Oratorio Singers (Westfield) and Morris Choral Society. She enjoyed attending the Berkshire Choral Festival for many summers. Isabell was also an avid gardener, seeker of facts, and lover of knowledge. Isabell is survived by her daughter and son-in-law of London, Kathleen E. Makuen and George M. Stein, daughter and son-in-law of Hartsdale, NY, Carolyn Makuen and David R. Beyda, son and daughter-in-law of Seattle, WA, David N. and Rebecca Makuen, and two treasured grandchildren of Seattle, Jenna D. Makuen and Luke R. Makuen. Isabell also leaves a beloved niece and nephew and their families, Brigid Manning-Hamilton of Lafayette, IN and Shaun Rai of Santa Barbara, CA. Sy’s family, Margery, Brett, Shawn, and Jamie Harwood, Barbara Woller, Sabrina and Jason Bernath and her family, were also important in her life. A memorial service will be held at Norman Dean Home for Services , 16 Righter Avenue, Denville, NJ, www.normandean.com, (please light a candle in memory of Isabell on web site), on Sunday, March 1, at 1-3PM. Celebrants of her life are welcome at the house afterward at 10 Shawger Road, Denville, NJ 07834, (973) 627-5159. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the American Lung Association (on line donation at www.lungusa.org) or by mail to American Lung Association of the City of New York, 116 John Street, 30th Floor, New York, NY 10038, (212) 889-3370, in Isabell’s name.