Isabel Brown Pearce, a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, passed away peacefully on July 3rd, at the age of 94 years old.
Born in October of 1930, in Philadelphia, PA, Isabel was the beloved daughter of Dr. J. Draper Brown and Dora Sexton Brown. She was raised on the family’s Maple Brook Farm on Kennett Pike, a place where she developed a lifelong love for animals, especially her generations of cocker spaniels.
A 1948 alumna of Wilmington Friends School, Isabel went on to earn her degree from the University of Delaware, where she cultivated her passion for learning. She channeled that energy as a teacher at the Tatnall School, where she also coached women’s tennis.
Isabel was a dedicated volunteer. She served on the board of the American Red Cross in Delaware where she was awarded the Lamont DuPont Jr. Memorial Award for outstanding service to the community and was also an active member of the Junior League of Wilmington. Volunteering was always a large part of her life.
Summers held a special place in Isabel’s heart, spent among family and friends in Spring Lake, New Jersey. The beach, Mr. Brown’s by the pool, and sheer love for tennis and friends were a cherished part of her rhythm of life.
Traveling, cooking and entertaining with friends were always a priority. Isabel and Ralph never shied away from an opportunity to spend time with what was an outstanding group of friends. It was often said that if you left a Pearce party hungry it was nobody’s fault, but your own. Isabel made sure the travel calendar was always packed with annual trips to Coral Beach Club in Bermuda and The Ocean Club in Grand Cayman, Westwind II Club in Nassau, Bahamas as well as Seabourn Cruises and trips to Europe.
Isabel was a parishioner of St. Joseph’s on the Brandywine from 1935 after attending St. Ann’s from her home on Woodlawn Avenue for the first five years of life.
Isabel was predeceased by her beloved husband, Ralph Pearce, with whom she shared a marriage of 60 years marked by deep love, partnership, family, and a lot of fun. She is survived by her children Isabel Sexton Pearce, Joan Pearce Snyder, John Edward Pearce and his wife Brenda, and Mark Andrew Pearce and his wife Lisa, as well as 10 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, and her faithful dog Penny all of whom were constant sources of pride and joy.
She leaves behind a legacy of compassion, strength, and unwavering commitment to the people and causes she loved.
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