Heritage Florida Jewish News - Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice

Submitted by the family

Isabelle "Buddye" Maxine (nee Heyman) Laub, who was a registered nurse, artist, and lifelong volunteer passed away peacefully on Jan. 29, 2024, surrounded by her loving family. She was just shy of 98 years old.

Buddye was born to Rose and Benjamin Heyman in Newark, N.J. on Feb. 15, 1926. She grew up in Baltimore, MD, graduating from Forest Park High School in 1944. She began her life of service as one the first teenage volunteers at the University of Maryland Hospital. While still in high school, she served as a fire watcher during World War II. After graduation, she joined the Cadet Nurse Corps, and graduated from Sinai Hospital School of Nursing in 1947. Her name is engraved on the Women's Wall of the World War II Memorial in Washington, DC., in tribute to her service.

While in nursing school, she met the love of her life, Rainer "Ray" Martin Laub, at a rooftop USO dance, and moved to Boston, MA. While Ray completed his undergraduate engineering degree at Northeastern University, she worked at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital. They married in Baltimore in 1948, and then to Pittsburgh shortly thereafter. Buddye helped establish one of the first same-day surgical units at Montefiore Hospital. They eventually moved to Springfield, Delaware County, PA, where they lived for 34 years and raised four children.

Buddye worked at Hahnemann and Chester Hospitals, and then at the newly-built Riddle Memorial Hospital where she worked for 20 years. There she discovered her love for emergency nursing. She received her certification in emergency nursing from the University of Pennsylvania.

A strong community leader, Buddye was active in Hadassah and served on the Board of Directors of Ohev Shalom Synagogue in Wallingford, PA. She served as President of Sisterhood and gave generous amounts of her time to organizing and overseeing fund-raising dinners, fairs, and also took part in the temple's musicals. One of her most significant volunteer efforts was creating and coordinating a program to place Jewish volunteers in Delaware County hospitals on Christmas Day. The program still is in effect today. 

Ray's job transferred to Orlando, Fla in 1982. Here Buddye worked in the emergency department at Winter Park Memorial Hospital, retiring in 1995. She continued her volunteer work as a Red Cross nurse, frequently serving as the registered nurse in hurricane shelters. Buddye was active in the Tuscawilla Homeowners Association, the Winter Springs Senior Center Board of Directors and played an active role in local politics. She delivered Meals-on-Wheels for 22 years and cooked for the homeless through Orlando's Ohev Shalom Synagogue for 25 years.

 Her love of volunteering was insatiable. Within months of her move to Cascade Heights in 2013, she initiated and managed a battery recycling program and worked each week in their "Corner Store" selling snacks and sundries and did whatever she could to help her neighbors.

Buddye was a devoted wife, mother, Oma, and great-Oma. She loved to travel and was an extremely talented painter, specializing in oils and acrylics. Buddye was quite the seamstress and used to sew her own evening gowns. She enjoyed needlepoint and crocheting. Buddye was an excellent cook, memorable hostess, a skilled gardener, lover of orchids, a voracious reader, and an amazing and loving friend who will be sorely missed.

Buddye is survived by her four children - Ronald (Ellen) Laub, Leonard (Yvonne Ascher) Laub, Amy Laub, Cindy (Harry) Cohen; six grandchildren - Rian (Sarah) Laub, Rebecca (Adam) Lang, Jacob (Julia Dancyger) Laub, Ilana (Yoryos Pönnighaus) Cohen, Aaron (Marybeth Murray) Laub, Shelby (Trevor) Rosenberg; and eight great-grandchildren - Rachel, Nora, Gavin, Rainer, Maeva, Owen, Ruadh, and Noa.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Buddye's memory may be directed to the National Kidney Foundation, The American Red Cross, or the organization of your choice.

Graveside Services for Buddye were held at Congregation Ohev Shalom Cemetery (6034 Old Winter Garden Road, Orlando) with Rabbi David Kay officiating.  May she rest in peace and may her memory always be a blessing.

Service entrusted to Beth Shalom Memorial Chapel, 933 Lee Road, Suite 101, Orlando, Florida 407-599-1180.