Isabelle Duzee

Isabelle Van Duzee
6/4/1947--12/26/2018
Age 71, of Arden Hills, Isabelle (Izzy) died unexpectedly on Dec. 26th, 2018.
Preceded in death by parents Martin and Jeanne Van Duzee, brother-in-law Ron
Moore. Survived by siblings Martin (Karen), Jacqueline, Gwen Moore and Roxanne
(Bill) Furlong; niece and grandnephew Jill and Justin Pham; extended family,
Gene, Anne and Andrew Hartsock, Robert (Nancy) Hartsock and Serenna, Lilly and
Kurah; best friends and roommates Pat, Ron, Jenny and special friend Bob; Pat's
grown children and many dear friends at Enrich Inc, her workplace TSE and Twin
City Bible Church.

Izzy will forever be remembered by her quick humor and positive, joyful attitude
about life. She had a photographic memory for people she met and would instantly
recognize them years later. She had a penchant for purses, 'diamond rings',
jewelry, 'Baby dolls' and coffee, coffee, coffee. She made Target her home away
from home. She also loved pulling pranks, often warning many times that she'd
'throw you in the lake' or 'put ice down your pants' if you weren't having a
good time or if you were having too much of a good time.

In the early 1960s, our mother, Jeanne, along with others, became founding
members of the St. Paul chapter of ARC to push for changes to better the lives
of children with developmental disabilities. She was an early proponent of
group-home living and by the 1970s she had found a group home for Izzy in the
Summit-Hill area. It changed Izzy's life when in 1992 she found her 'forever
home' with Enrich Inc. In the mid 80s she was a participant in the Special
Olympics.

Izzy was blessed to live in an Enrich home run by Pat Monahan who became her
best friend and admits that living 26 years with Izzy was longer than she had
lived with her own children.

The family would like to thank Pat and Ron and Enrich Inc. for giving Izzy a
well-loved and stable home life; rest assured our mother would be proud.
Our Isabelle had a great sense of timing and humor. Once, when Rocky was taking
her out for lunch, Izzy saw a sale sign, pointed and yelled, 'Garage Sale!' To
which Rocky replied, 'Sorry, Iz, I have no cash.' A few blocks later Izzy again
pointed then shouted, 'Cash Machine!'? Many, many garage sales were visited
after lunch that day.

Pat tells the story of after leaving Sunday church with Izzy, being stopped at a
light at a busy intersection on Rice Street, a deer came out of nowhere, ran
into Izzy's car door, fell, got up and took off across the street. Izzy looked
over at Pat and said, 'Well, that was weird!'

Jackie shares that often when Izzy was over, Izzy would tease her and threaten
to take Jackie's dachshund, Ivy, home with her. Gwen remembers when after both
of our parents died, Izzy reassured her, 'You be alright, you've got me now.'
And Marty says no matter how many times he'd visit her, be it two days apart or
a week later, Izzy would always say: 'I haven't seen you a long time.'

Izzy loved working at TSE and didn't retire even after a bad fall on January
16th of 2018. For four days she languished in a coma when there was the
possibility that she may not make it. The next morning, she sat up, asked for
breakfast and after weeks of physical therapy and recuperating, became her
teasing, laughing, happy old self again. We thank her nurses and doctors at St.
Joseph's Hospital in St. Paul for giving us almost another year with our
sweetheart.

Isabelle was a remarkable human being overcoming difficulties she was up
against. She laughed, loved and lived life to it's fullest. She touched the
lives of everyone she came in contact with. She taught us all how to enjoy the
life we've been given with grace, laughter, acceptance and love.

Our lives will be a little less rich with Izzy's absence. So let us continue to
spread the love and laughter that Izzy so freely gave. She is now walking on streets of gold in the presence of her God, praising His
name forever. In a last act of love, Izzy was an organ donor to the St. Paul Regions Hospital
Burn Unit.