Ilse Diana Wahle died peacefully on Sept. 14, a few weeks after celebrating her 100th birthday with family and friends at the Havenwood-Heritage Heights continuing care retirement community, in Concord, N.H., where she lived for 17 years. Ilse was born to Robert and Dina Schrenk, recent immigrants to Hoboken, where her father founded Schrenk and Co. glass manufacturers in 1900. Ilse completed her high school years at Hoboken Academy in 1933, and graduated from Barnard College in 1937 with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry. She was a competitive swimmer, an avid horse woman, pianist, and trap shooter.
She married Herbert Gustav Wahle in 1938 in New York City and spent the war years in Puerto Rico where Herb served the Caribbean and Latin America sales territory for Sterling Drug Co. of New York. In 1945 they moved to Ridgewood, where their children Diana and Richard were born and went to elementary school. In 1965 the family moved to Saddle River. When Herb retired in 1985, the couple moved to Eastman Lake in Grantham, N.H.
After Herb’s death in 1993, Ilse continued to be active in her community, and to travel with friends and family. Ilse entered Havenwood-Heritage Heights in 1999. She loved the simple beauty of nature and did her part to make the world a greener place. A loyal and loving mother and wife, forthright citizen of the world, Ilse was a class act. She is survived by daughter Diana, her husband John, Diana’s daughters Alexa and Nicole; her son Rick, his wife Carol and their sons, Tom and Ryan; and her beloved grand-dog, Che. Contributions to Ilse’s memory may be sent to: The Children’s Defense Fund, 395 E. Broad St., Columbus, OH 43215 or Research to Prevent Blindness, 645 Madison Ave. #21, New York, NY 10022.