Barbara Sue Isbell

Barbara Sue Isbell passed away peacefully on June 16, 2019 at her home, surrounded by her family. Barbara was preceded in death by her parents, John B. and Ida Mae Miller, and a son, Weldon Earl Isbell. Barbara is survived by her husband of 64 years, Billy W. Isbell and a son James A. Isbell of the home, a daughter, Patricia G. Isbell of Dale City, Virginia, and a granddaughter Amanda K. Ward-Isbell of Old Hickory, Tennessee, a brother Thomas T. Miller for Orange, Texas, a niece Charlotte Williams of Orange, Texas, and a niece, Gwendolyn Mathis of Tyler, Texas.

Barbara Sue Miller was born in a tent in the Kilgore, Texas oil fields on December 22, 1936. Her father was a carpenter who took his family around Texas in a homemade trailer during her childhood. Barbara married Billy Isbell on December 31, 1954 then graduated from Lutcher Stark High School in Orange, Texas the following May. Barbara and Billy moved around the country the following twenty years during Bill’s military career. Barbara and Bill moved to Woodbridge, Virginia in 1971 and settled in following his retirement from the U.S. Army.

Barbara Sue became a school bus driver in 1973 and joined the union. She was president of AFSCME local 3123 for more than fifteen years. Barbara joined the Prince William Democratic Committee and served as a member of the AFL-CIO State Central Committee and the Virginia Democratic Party Central Committee.

Barbara Sue was a delegate to the 1992 Democratic convention and an alternate in 1996. Barbara’s labor and Democratic party affiliations aided her long time effort in lobbying for worker’s rights and classified employee compensation within the Prince William County Public School System. Barbara retired on disability in 1998 but continued as a partner with her husband in residential real estate investments for another 17 years.