WICOMICO CHURCH—The Rev. Isabel Boyd Fourqurean Steilberg of Newport News and Wicomico Church died on February 11, 2023.
She was born in South Boston on September 3, 1941, the only child of Lightfoot Boyd Fourqurean and Henry Jordan Fourqurean.
She graduated from Halifax County High School and received a Bachelor of Arts in piano performance from the University of North Carolina/Chapel Hill, a Master of Arts in English from Virginia Commonwealth University and a Master of Divinity from Virginia Theological Seminary.
She served parishes in the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Virginia from 1992 until 2013, when she retired after 16 years as rector of St. Paul’s Church, Newport News. In the Diocese, she served on the executive board and as president of the standing committee. She served as co-chair of the executive board of the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy and was named its Citizen Advocate of the Year in 2012.
She was predeceased 23 years ago to the day by her husband, The Rev. Robert Hays Steilberg.
She is survived by their children, Robert Christopher Steilberg of Jacksonville, Fla., Matthew Henry Steilberg (Ann) of Richmond and Anne Boyd Steilberg Mize (Greg) of Trussville, Al., as well as her grandchildren, Joseph Augustus Steilberg, Robert Hays Steilberg II, Jackson Henry Kemp Steilberg, Charlotte Isabella Steilberg, Elizabeth Ann Steilberg, Mary Virginia Mize, William Boyd Mize, Anne Catherine Mize, Henry Louis Mize and Olivia Grace Steilberg.
She was a passionate advocate for justice and mercy for people oppressed and marginalized. What gave her the most joy was her family: her partner both in marriage and as colleagues in the most authentic parish ever, St. Paul’s in downtown Newport News. She adored her children and was even more in love with her 10 grandchildren.
A Celebration of Resurrection Service will be held at 1 p.m. on Sunday, February 26, at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Newport News.
Contributions in her memory are invited for the Southern Poverty Law Center, The Equal Justice Initiative, or Jackson-Feild Behavioral Services, an Episcopal institution dedicated to serving children.
