Adele Ibsen

Adele Ibsen has come to the end of a journey that afforded her four additional years of life. Adele Ibsen (nee Wall) was the beloved wife of Jeffrey, loving mother of David (Colleen Maguire) Ibsen and Alison (Fekru Makonnen) Ibsen, cherished grandmother of Madeleine and Alexandra Makonnen, devoted sister of Alan (Jenifer) Wall and the late Helene Wall, and adored aunt of Aliza Wall, Alex Ibsen, Peter Ibsen, the late Nicholas Ibsen, Eric McDonald, Scott McDonald, Grace Ibsen and Alfred Ibsen.

Adele was the first child of Jean and Carl Wall, Holocaust survivors and refugees who settled in Hartford, CT. She spent her early childhood in the Hartford area until the family moved to the Hudson Valley where her father and uncle established a thriving apple business. She attended Poughkeepsie High School and then SUNY Buffalo, where she studied Sociology. After college, Adele moved to Boston, where she met Jeff, her future husband and love of her life. In 1976, Adele and Jeff relocated to CT before settling in in the town of West Hartford, where they raised their children Alison and David. Adele embarked on a twenty-three-year career in criminal justice in the Judicial Division of the State of CT, serving as one of their first female probation officers. After enjoying several years of retirement, Adele and Jeff relocated to Cleveland, OH where they devoted themselves to their two beloved granddaughters.

Adele was a keen listener and conversationalist, and mentor and friend to many. Adele possessed a rare quality that enabled her to make people in her life feel special and loved. Adele’s thoughtfulness was legendary, and she made a science out of finding perfect gifts for the people in her life. She was a voracious reader and expert on classic movies. Adele loved the Connecticut and Cape Cod seashores, exploring new places with Jeff, connecting with friends and loved ones, and vacation time with her family.

To know Adele was to adore her. To the moon and back.

Our family would like to thank Dr. Jame Abraham, Nancy Dalpiaz and Adele’s entire care team at Cleveland Clinic.

Services Monday August 12 at 1 p.m. at the Mayfield Cemetery 2749 Mayfield Rd. Cleveland Hts. Reception to follow. Family will also receive friends at the residence of Alison Ibsen and Fekru Makonnen, 2574 Fairmount Blvd. Cleveland Heights on Tuesday from 4-8 p.m. Contributions may be made in Adele’s name to The Hebrew Home & Hospital in West Hartford CT (https://hebrewcenterrehab.com/center/), The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (www.ushmm.org), or VeloSano (https://give.velosano.org/give/551026/#!/donation/checkout).