Mary Isabelle Block
Oct. 13, 1917-Oct. 3, 2013
Palo Alto, California
Submitted by Alison Parks
Our beloved mother Mary Isabelle Lupton Block passed away peacefully on Oct. 3, 2013, from complications of pneumonia. She was just 10 days shy of her 96th birthday.
Isabelle led an unusually adventurous life. Around 1900, nearly 30 members of her family moved to the Philippines from Lake Oswego, OR. Isabelle was born and raised in the Philippines, where she had an enormous number of pets, including a great dane, several chickens and the occasional monkey. Her family built and ran a lumber mill, designed the early rail system and owned a gold mine, among other ventures.
When the time came for college, Isabelle bravely moved halfway around the world to attend USC. Here she met her future husband, Mort Block, as well as many friends for life. She and Mort married at the Wee Kirk of the Heathers in Los Angeles.
As Mort worked for Pan Am, the adventures continued. At various times in Isabelle's life, she lived in Honolulu, San Carlos, Beirut and even London for a spell in the 1970s. But she and her family eventually settled for good in the San Francisco Bay Area and called Palo Alto home. Through it all, Isabelle and Mort raised four children; Nancy Block Prael, Gordon Block, Kevin Block and Alison Parks.
Isabelle's love for orchids was evident throughout her life. She ran several florist businesses in Palo Alto and Los Altos and was always heavily involved with the Peninsula Orchid Society. Along with Mort, she traveled to jungles and exotic locales around the world to experience the native habitats of rare species. Isabelle's last trip (before her 2006 stroke) was to go and see the orchids of Myanmar (Burma), well before it was safe for tourists.
Isabelle also loved to play tennis and bridge, both of which she enjoyed well into her 80s.
She was preceded in death by her husband Mort and her oldest daughter, Nancy.
Isabelle was one of those exceptional people blessed with the sweetest heart imaginable. She will truly be missed. A celebration of Isabelle's life will be held in December. Arrangements are forthcoming.
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