Author: David Wilkerson

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Heidi J. Siemens-Rhodes ~ Class of 1992

Heidi Siemens ~ Class of 1992

Departed ~ 6/24/2012

GOSHEN – Heidi Siemens-Rhodes, 38, died at her home Sunday evening after living nine months knowing her diagnosis of metastatic melanoma.. She was born June 24, 1974 in Sacramento, CA to Mark and Jan (Lautt) Siemens. She married Mitch Siemens-Rhodes Aug. 3, 1996 in Kalona, IA. He survives.. Also surviving are three children, Theodore Kazuo, Adam Hae and Ira Khalil; her mother, Jan Siemens, Goshen; and a brother, Brad Siemens (married to Andrea Martin), Portland, OR.. She was preceded in death by an infant daughter, Willa Esperanza; and her father, Mark Siemens.. Heidi spent the first three years of her life in Sacramento before moving to Jerusalem, where her parents worked for Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) from 1977-82. The family moved to Fresno, CA from 82-89 and to Bangkok, Thailand, 1989-92, where they worked again for MCC.. The 1992 valedictorian of International School Bangkok, she studied at Goshen College, graduating in 1996 with majors in chemistry, biology and secondary education and minors in French and teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL).. She taught English in Japan from 1997 to 2000, and from 2000 to 2002 she lived in Iowa, where she taught a semester at Iowa Mennonite School and taught English as a second language to adults in Iowa City.. The family moved to the Goshen area in 2002, and she studied at Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary until graduating with a Master’s of Divinity in 2005. From 2006 to 2008 she worked part time at Goshen Public Library and wrote Gather ‘Round Sunday school curriculum for Brethren Press. From 2008 until her death, Heidi served as pastor at Assembly Mennonite Church, where she was ordained in 2011 and truly found her life’s calling in a community that deeply cherished her. She also served on the Goshen Day Care Board for Walnut Hill Early Childhood Center.. Friends may call from 1 to 4, and 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at Assembly Mennonite Church, 1201 S. 11th Street, Goshen. Viewing may also occur one hour prior to the 10 a.m. Saturday funeral service at College Mennonite Church. The pastoral team of Bethany Swope, Karl Shelly and Carmen Horst will officiate.. Memorial contributions may be made to Mennonite Central Committee, to Walnut Hill Early Childhood Center, or to a fund at Assembly Mennonite Church for her children’s education.. Yoder-Culp Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.

Published on June 26, 2012

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Michael Andrew Morgan ~ Class of 1980

Michael Andrew Morgan ~ Class of 1980

Departed ~ 4/2008

Would you please add my brother Michael Morgan. He went to ISB Bang Sue campus from 1972-1975. He passed away of lung cancer April of 2008 at age 46.

Cheryl Morgan 1975

 

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Kang-Tze “Ken” Wu ~ Class of 1958

Ken Wu ~ Class of 1958

Departed ~ 5/30/2020

Obituary

Kang-Tze “Ken” Wu, age 79, of Tucker, GA, peacefully passed away Saturday May 30, 2020.

Funeral services for Ken will be held on Thursday, June 4, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. in the Peachtree Corners Chapel of Crowell Brothers Funeral Homes & Crematory with Rev. Brendon Lee officiating. Burial will follow at Georgia Memorial Park, Marietta, GA. The family will gather at the funeral home with friends from 9:30 a.m. until the time of the service.

Ken was born on March 27, 1941 in Tianjin, China to the late Ta-Yeh Wu and the late Teng Shu-Hsien. He loved reading, enjoyed learning about Military History and Science Fiction.

Ken is survived by his loving wife of 40 years, Tze-Hui Wu; son and daughter-in-law, Ethan Wu and Janis Lee; daughter, Cynthia Wu; grandchildren, Jeremy Wu and Ezra Wu; brothers, Tony Wu and Seth Wu.

Please send pictures (old and new), anecdotes, articles, stories and tributes to isbeings at gmail.com

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Michael “Mike” Warshaw ~ Class of 1972

Mike Warshaw ~ Class of 1971

Departed ~ 6/12/2020

Mike and his friend John Marcus Fisk c. ~ 1980

Worcester – Michael Warshaw, 64, passed away unexpectedly June 12, 2020. There was no inkling that on this particular Friday evening Michael would take flight; he was here, and then suddenly, he was gone. This much can be said: He left behind many broken hearts, among them his wife Donna, his sons Christopher and Michael Higgins, daughter-in-law Jill Epstein, three adored granddaughters: Olivia, Chase, and Rhyen; his father Fred, his sister Lisa Warshaw Ellis, along with a host of relatives, in-laws, friends, and a dog named Buster. He was predeceased by his mother Sybil, who passed away 31 years ago.

Born in Brooklyn in 1955, Michael and his family would travel to lands much more exotic than that New York borough before making Worcester his home. Singapore, Thailand and Puerto Rico were some of the places where he attended school. Moving so much made forging friendships difficult for a Jewish kid from Brooklyn.

“He was always the new kid, so books became his friends,” said his wife. The written word would become everything to Michael, whose curious mind clicked along regardless of location. He would eventually attend Clark University, where he fell hard for both the city of Worcester and his Vernon Hill landlady, Donna. Michael was unfazed by the idea of becoming a stepfather to her young sons who, as Christopher put it, saw him as “an alien that landed here.” Years of winning over strangers had given him the confidence to tackle teenagers, becoming part of an Irish Catholic clan might have been trickier.

“When you met Michael, he was interested in you, and asked all about you,” his brother-in-law Dennis Clarke recalled.

“Title this ‘New York Jew Infiltrates Suburban Family’,” chuckled Chris. Chris remembered Michael as Dad fondly, adding: “He was not always perfect, but he was a good father figure, no doubt. The best gift Mike ever gave me, and it is one that I try daily to replicate, is how to love and how to be loved.”

Christopher’s daughters felt that love.

“He was such a good grandpa to me, and he could always make me laugh when I saw him,” said Olivia, 15, remembering the grandfather who illustrated a “Fat Fairy” book for her birthday based on stories he told her.

“He was so fun,” said Chase, age 12. “It was hard to have a frown around him because no matter what mood I was in, he could make me smile.”

Michael pursued a career in journalism, along the way working both in radio and in print for INC. Magazine, The Boston Globe, and Worcester Magazine. He would switch gears eventually, working for Raytheon, where he was employed at the time of his death.

I worked with Michael during his tenure as editor of Worcester Magazine. Words mattered, and he knew how to make them tell a story that was never dull, always accurate and highly readable. Over the past 25 years, I’ve worked with countless editors, and Mike was one of my favorites, though you would never know it if you witnessed a conversation between us over content. We had heated arguments about my columns at least twice a month, and the denizens of his editorial teams can attest to that. If I got too political or national he would rein me in by saying: “This is WORCESTER Magazine, Janice. Write about WORCESTER.” Sometimes, I won the argument, but not often. He was a very good editor and an even better writer. He had fun writing, you could see it when he dreamed up a cover story, or a snappy headline. When one of Worcester’s greatest unsolved murder mysteries – the Candace Scola homicide – was a hot story, Mike’s cover was a beauty. “Everybody Thinks He Did It” brought fireworks from attorneys. It flew off the racks. He hijacked my cover story on Worcester celeb Denis Leary by insisting that he come along for the interview. He steam rolled me every time I tried to ask a question but my favorite Mike moment came when we first arrived, and he turned to me and asked: “Does my hair look good?”

Michael Warshaw was born in the wrong decade.

He should have entered this world 20 years earlier, to experience firsthand the uniquely American culture and history that were the ’40s and ’50s. Michael knew more about film noir, World War II and everything from “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” to “Masterpiece Theater” to “Howdy Dowdy” than any person you’d ever meet. He could pick Adolph Menjou out of a crowd, recite every line from Casablanca, and tell you the backstory about every B movie ever made. The home he shared with Donna is filled with movie memorabilia, a vintage jukebox, radios and neon signs- not knock-offs. The real deal.

Mike adored celebrities, but not just the A-listers. He saved much of his affection for the stars who ended their careers as trivia questions, like Julie Newmar, or Butch Patrick. His appreciation was for the entertainers who made a living simply by making us smile. The day after he died, I watched “Gun Crazy” on TCM. It’s a film noir classic, starring John Dall and Peggie Cummins, though few people I know have seen it. I had to stop myself from grabbing the phone to text Mike about it. He would have known why Peggie’s career never really took off and agreed with me that John Dall was Jake Tapper’s doppelganger.

The last exchange we shared was something I will always cherish. We text-watched together “Casablanca” during quarantine, only a few weeks ago. We tried to beat each other to the lines, and we chatted about Peter Lorre. It was a typical thing for two people who also shared a silly love of talking chimps and corny jokes. In fact, I can hear him saying to me as I write these words: “This goin’ somewhere?” Janice Harvey

Graveside services at Notre Dame Cemetery 162 Webster St. Worcester will be held for Michael at 11:00 AM Wednesday, June 17, 2020. A celebration of Michael’s life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers please donate in Michael’s name to the charity of your choice.

Please send pictures (old and new), anecdotes, articles, stories and tributes to isbeings at gmail.com

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Michelle Elaine “Micky” Moore ~ Class of 1971

Micky  Moore ~ Class of 1971

Departed ~ 7/18/2008

Published in Houston Chronicle on Jul. 24, 2008.

MICHELLE ELAINE MOORE, age 55, passed away on Friday, July 18, 2008. She was preceded in death by her father, John E. Moore. She is survived by her mother Joyce Elaine Pearson Moore, her uncle and aunt, Earl and Louise Pearson Nichols and her family and her aunt, Mary Bain Pearson and her family, along with numerous cousins and friends. She will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved her. A Memorial Service is planned for her on Saturday, July 26th at 11:00 a.m. in the Community Room at the Towers at Clear Lake, 18707 Egret Bay Blvd., Houston, Tx 77058.

 

June 17, 2020 – Phyllis Clemensen Halton wrote:

Michelle, you crossed my path in Bangkok and eventually became a friend. Your smile, your joy and happiness filled everywhere you passed. You loved life and people but most of all you loved your parents, your family and Texas! We were fortunate you visited Brasil when my husband was terminally ill. You made him laugh again; we stayed up all night for Carnaval, then headed for the beach and fell asleep on the sand. Best Carnaval! Thank you for sharing your too short life; thank you for always being positive, kind and thoughtful. You are greatly missed.

 

Please send pictures (old and new), anecdotes, articles, stories and tributes to isbeings at gmail.com
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Barbara Susanne “Barb” Arnzen – Keebler ~ Class of 1970

Barb Arnzen ~ Class of 1970

Arrived ~ August 5, 1952

Departed ~ June 19, 2020

Obituary:

Barbara Susanne Keebler, age 67, of Delray Beach, FL, passed away on Friday, June 19, 2020.

She was preceded in death by her father, Roy D. Collier, and stepfather, Chester Arnzen, and her sister, Patricia Anne Brookshire.

She is survived by her husband of 22 years, Stephen K. Keebler; stepson Jonathan, New York, NY; mother Joan Guske Arnzen, Marietta, GA; sisters and brothers-in-law, Mary and Jeff Reinlie, Ft. Walton Beach, FL and Betty and Mike Caddell, Marietta, GA; brothers, Jim Arnzen, Atlanta GA and John Arnzen, Atlanta, GA; several nieces, nephews, and cousins, and her pet goose Oscar.

Barbara was born August 5, 1952 in Detroit, MI. She attended the International School of Bangkok, Thailand during the Vietnam War era, and rarely missed an ISB biennial reunion throughout her lifetime. She rode horses competitively, collecting many trophies in her early twenties, and scuba dived. She worked in a variety of accounting jobs in Seattle, WA for a shipping company (Container-Care International), a restaurant chain (Eastside Mario’s), and at a bookstore where she developed her lifelong love of reading. Barbara traveled the world, and was an avid writer, photographer, and scrap-booker.

She left us too soon and will be dearly missed by her many friends.

Published in Sun-Sentinel on Jul. 1, 2020.

Steve Keebler lovingly wrote:

I regret to inform you of our beloved Barb’s peaceful passing by my side yesterday after 4 days on life support at Delray Medical Center. She fell into a coma on Monday, June 15 at home due to some sort of undetected internal bacterial infection which she could not fight off after enduring 10 of 12 scheduled chemo sessions. Her passing has broken many hearts, especially mine. Barb never missed an ISB reunion over the 20+ years that we’ve been together.

Her Loving Husband,

-steve

Please send pictures (old and new), anecdotes, articles, stories, and tributes to isbeings at gmail dot com or visit us on Facebook at ISBeings

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Dennis White ~ Class of 1974

Dennis White ~ Class of 1974

Departed ~ 4/21/2020

Tony White

4/22/2020

Please send pictures (old and new), anecdotes, articles, stories and tributes to isbeings at gmail.com
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John Richard Beach ~ Class of 1969

John Beach ~ Class of 1969

Departed ~ 5/22/2020

Obituary for Mr. John Richard Beach

John Richard Beach, 68, of Columbus passed from this life on Friday, May 22, 2020 at 3:54 a.m. at Columbus Regional Hospital.
John was born on May 26, 1951 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania the son of Robert Kimber Beach, Sr. and Edna Grace Heiser Beach. In 1984 he married Phyllis A. Stahl.

John lived in Pennsylvania until 1967 when his family moved to Thailand; he enrolled at the International School of Bangkok. He was then able to spend a summer in Japan with missionary relatives. John graduated in 1969 from ISB and took a long return to the United States with family by way of Greece, Geneva, Frankfurt, Berlin, Zurich, Cologne, Amsterdam, and London. He attended one semester at Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina, before enrolling in journalism at Kellogg Community College in Battle Creek, Michigan. At Kellogg, he was named managing editor and later editor of the school’s newspaper. John then transferred to Michigan State University from where he graduated with a degree in broadcast journalism. While there, he was a DJ at a local radio station and hosted his own show. In 1974, John enlisted in the US Army and was sent to Fort Knox, Kentucky for basic training. His assignment was to Fort Benjamin Harrison in Indiana for Advanced Training in Radio/TV and Journalism. He became the editor of the Harrison Post newspaper and served on the Military Honor Guard; he was honorably discharged. John then worked for Representative Dave Evans on the Hill in Washington, D.C. In 1978, John moved to Columbus, Indiana to work for The Republic, first as a police reporter and then as a copy editor. In 1983, John went to work for the Army Times in Washington, D.C. as a news editor. In 1984 John married Phyllis A. Stahl. John and Phyllis moved back to Columbus in 1988 and purchased Carrico Furniture from Phyllis’s father, Ray Stahl. They owned and operated this business until 2007. John retired, but continued freelance editing.

John was a member of the American Legion and attended St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Columbus. His interests included, but were not limited to, history – especially government, war strategies, and the Civil War; collections of coins, albums and other memorabilia; reading, photography, music, the Outer Banks of NC, rum & coke, and dark beers. John brought levity to most any occasion, and enjoyed telling jokes and witticisms to keep friends and family laughing or groaning. John was deeply devoted to God, USA, and family – especially his sons.

Survivors include his wife, Phyllis Stahl of Columbus; sons, Benjamin Beach and Joe Beach, both at home; and siblings, Robert (Debra) Beach Jr., David (Kimberly) Beach, Mark (Naomi) Beach, Deborah (Frank) Angilletta, Charles “Chip” (Laura) Beach, and Grace (Kent) Kelly.

John was preceded in death by his parents.
In keeping with John’s wishes cremation will take place and a Celebration of Life will be held at a later date. Services were entrusted to Barkes, Weaver & Glick Funeral Home.

Memorial contributions may given in memory of John to Samaritan’s Purse or charity of donor’s own choosing, in care of the funeral home.
Online condolences and special memories may be shared with the Beach family at barkesweaverglick.com.

Please send pictures (old and new), anecdotes, articles, stories and tributes to isbeings at gmail.com