Isabel Rhoads, 100, died peacefully Wednesday, September 16, at her home in Orwigsburg.

Born in Pottsville on February 19, 1926, she was the daughter of the late Margaret (Starr) and Arthur Lucian Zulick. She graduated from Orwigsburg High School and went on to study English at her beloved Sweet Briar College, graduating with the class of 1947. After graduation, she moved to Philadelphia and worked for the International Resistance Company, where she met her husband, William Wayne Rhoads ("Wayne"), who had just returned from service in WWII. After living on various Naval bases during his service in the Korean War, she returned home to Orwigsburg in 1951, where she lived the rest of her life.

She was a homemaker in the finest sense; raising her children, caring for her aging mother and cultivating strong connections with neighbors, friends, and family. When her children grew older, she worked for a time at the family business, J. S. Zulick and Co., a children's shoe manufacturer that was founded by her great-grandfather in 1893 in Orwigsburg. She and Wayne loved to travel, especially with her sisters and their spouses.

She cherished the Orwigsburg community and was proud of her family's deep roots there, tracing back to the mid-1780s as a direct descendant of Frederick Hesser, a drummer boy in Washington's Continental Army who later settled in the area.  At her treasured St. John's United Church of Christ, she was a longtime choir member and held countless volunteer roles over the past 70 years. She volunteered at the Orwigsburg Library and was a regular book borrower up until her final days. She was known as a fierce bridge player who created a rich, active social network by participating in a local supper club, the Philanthrops, several book groups, and many other community activities.

Isabel is survived by her daughter, Libby Bernick; her sons, Tom Rhoads (wife Denise) and William Wayne Rhoads Jr. (wife Susan); and her grandchildren, John Rhoads (wife Kathy), Lee Bernick (husband Robby Arnott), Andy Bernick and Nina Bernick, Anna Rhoads and Meg Rhoads (husband Jonah Dolin). Her love for her many nieces and nephews was exceptional. She was predeceased by her husband Wayne and her four beloved Zulick siblings, Betty, Peg, Cinny, and Jack.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 12:00 noon, Saturday, September 26, at St. John's United Church of Christ in Orwigsburg, with Rev. Jeff Johnson officiating. Visitation in the church will begin at 11:00 AM. Interment will be private.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Orwigsburg Area Free Public Library, 216 W. Independence Street, Orwigsburg, PA 17961, or St. John's United Church of Christ, 236 E Market St., Orwigsburg, PA 17961.

St. John's United Church of Christ, Orwigsburg
236 East Market Street, Orwigsburg PA 17961

Orwigsburg Area Free Public Library
216 West Independence Street, Orwigsburg PA 17961
Tel: 1-570-366-1638
Email: [email protected]