Isobel "Maurene" Failor

Maurene Failor died of old age in hospice care in the early morning hours on Sunday, December 18, 2022. Maurene’s life ended peacefully surrounded by loved ones in the home she had shared with her beloved husband of 62 years prior to his death in 2018.

Maurene was born on November 13, 1930 in Moorland, Iowa. She was the fourth child of Horace and Lyda (Black) Julius who named her Isobel Maurene Julius. She was baptized and confirmed at Calvary Presbyterian Church and graduated from Moorland High School in 1949, where she played basketball and softball. Maurene always loved music and had a beautiful soprano voice. She sang in church and theater productions while attending the University of Dubuque and graduated in 1953 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music and Christian Education.

She began her career in Waterloo, Iowa as the Director of Music and Christian Education at 4th Presbyterian Church. Then she moved back to Dubuque to serve as Director of Music at Westminster Presbyterian Church, where she met, fell in love, and married her beloved husband, Ed Failor, on August 4, 1956. Ed and Maurene had three children while living in Dubuque before moving to Des Moines, Chicago, and eventually to the Washington D.C. area as Ed’s career progressed and Maurene took time away from working to raise her children through their many transitions.

Eventually, Maurene returned to the workforce beginning in D.C. as an Executive Assistant to the Director of the NRA. In 1979, Ed and Maurene moved back to Iowa and settled in Muscatine where she worked for many years as an Executive Assistant in charge of the research library at Kent Feeds Processing Company. Maurene ended her career working at a job she truly loved supporting meaningful causes as Executive Assistant for the nonprofit Hope Foundation.

Maurene and Ed enjoyed annual trips to Hawaii for many years as well as a European tour and a Caribbean trip with family. They loved spending time together exercising, and Maurene was Ed’s biggest fan when he participated in Senior Olympics events for many years. Maurene loved being a mother and grandmother, passing her love of music on to future generations. She attended and cheered at as many of her kids’ and grandkids’ sporting, musical, and theater events as she possibly could. Afterwards, she would invite everyone to go out and celebrate together for a meal, always her treat.

Surviving family members include daughter Michelle Olson and her husband Tim, Ankeny Iowa; daughter Patrice Comey and her husband Jim, Fairfax County, Virginia; Edward Failor, Jr., West Des Moines Iowa; 12 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

A memorial service for Maurene will take place on Friday, December 30 at 11:00 a.m. at McLaren’s Resthaven Chapel, 801 19th Street, West Des Moines with burial at Resthaven Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be directed to Riverside Bible Camp in Story City, Iowa on their website, www.riversidelbc.org/donate, or the charity of your choice.