Mary Isabelle (McCool) Herman
OBITUARY
Mary Isabelle (McCool) Herman passed away on February 19, 2026. She was the daughter of Joseph and Helen McCool. Born in Fountain Hill on July 10, 1945. She attended St. Simon and Jude Grade School in Bethlehem and was a graduate of Allentown Central Catholic High School, Class of 1963. Mary then walked across the street and attended Sacred Heart School of Nursing, Class of 1966, which was the beginning of her extensive career as a registered nurse. The family joke was that she spent seven years of her early life at Fourth and Chew Street in Allentown.
In 1966, she met Leonard G. Herman of Jim Thorpe, PA on a blind date at the Sacred Heart School of Nursing Sweetheart Dance. They were married on October 7, 1967, in Bethlehem, and were blessed with four children, Mary Helen of Eynon, PA, Joseph of Williamsport, PA, Daniel (deceased) of York, PA, and Leonard of Oak Hill, VA. The four children were born in the first five years of marriage, and their kids were showered with love and attention by their many aunts and uncles. Their love story continued for 58 years and included many holiday gatherings, trips with the family to the Jersey shore beaches, as well as many cruises all over the Caribbean and Bermuda.
The family resided in Chinchilla, PA for 37 years and referred to their homestead as being on Herman Mountain where they shared many nights singing by the fire and dancing in the kitchen. Mary was very supportive of her children’s extracurricular activities involving sports and trips with the Abington Heights Marching Band. She was proud of the accomplishments of her children and often bragged about them in conversations with her friends. In fact, if you ever asked Mary how she was doing, she would tell you very briefly how she was doing and proceed to go on and on about how her kids and grandchildren were doing instead. She was the lively life of the party at the family parties, was a great conversationalist and her constant smile lit up the room. A very special part of her legacy are her 11 grandchildren, ranging from 10-38 years old. Mary was the ultimate Nanna handing out advice and lots of love. She loved shopping with and for the grandchildren especially. God forbid she should allow a Macy’s coupon or CVS care pass to expire and she sure kept the Hallmark store in business. The Christmas season was an
especially happy time in the Herman house with many cherished family traditions, togetherness and piles and piles of presents from Nanna and Grumps. She loved the outdoors, was an accomplished bird watcher (especially for the elusive Scarlet Tanager) during her evening hiking adventures with her beloved husband, Len. Frequent trips to Cape May, NJ always had to include a stop at the bird sanctuary to see the swans. She especially loved visits from cardinals as it felt like it was a visit from her father (who had red hair).
Mary wore many hats as a wife and mother while working as an RN at Community Medical Center in Scranton, completing college courses for her BSN at Marywood University, MS in Health Administration at the University of Scranton and NHA licensure. Her professional career carried her back to the Lehigh Valley where she worked in various positions within the HCR Manor Care System, finally retiring as nursing home administrator for Liberty Nursing and Rehab in Allentown, PA. Her expertise in the field of healthcare led her to a position on the Board of Trustees for the former Sacred Heart Hospital, various roles for LIFE Geisinger Scranton (first PACE program in NEPA), and legal consulting firms related to elder care. Her love of nursing influenced the career paths for her daughter, granddaughter, and nieces.
She was a great friend and loved the reunions with her Sacred Heart Nursing School classmates and ladies lunch group, where she was described as a welcoming, outgoing, and a loving member.
She will be greatly missed by all that knew her, especially her husband, Len, who loved and adored his Mary Isabelle.
A celebration of Mary’s life will be held 2:00 p.m., Saturday, March 7, 2026, in the Heintzelman Stephens Funeral Home, P.C., 274 N. Krocks Road, Allentown. Family and friends may pay their respects from 1:00-2:00 p.m., Saturday in the funeral home. A private burial will be held at the convenience of her family. Online expressions of sympathy may be recorded at www.heintzelmanstephens.com
Contributions: In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Association, P.O. Box 840692, Dallas, TX 75284-0692.
Mary Isabelle (McCool) Herman
February 19, 2026