Isabella De La Houssaye

Isabella Livaudais De La Houssaye, 59, of Lawrenceville, NJ, passed away on
December 2, 2023, almost six years after unexpectedly being diagnosed with
non-small cell lung cancer as a lifetime non-smoker. Isabella was born on
February 2, 1964, in New Orleans, LA, to Isabella Livaudais De La Houssaye
and the late Benton Cason De La Houssaye Jr.

Isabella was an extraordinary and multifaceted individual. She was, first
and foremost, a loving mother of her five children, an accomplished
endurance athlete, and a successful business owner, who was deeply
dedicated to her work both in business and philanthropy. She had a deep
passion for history, art, and culture, and was an intrepid traveler, which
led her to explore over 100 countries on all seven continents. During her
travels, she became a renowned collector of arts and antiques and one of
the world's leading experts on a range of material art from double weave
ikat textiles to traditional tribal veils. She was named a Fellow of The
Explorers Club in 2023 - the highest level of membership one can achieve in
the organization.

She was known for her love of undertaking adventures and athletic
challenges, many of which she completed with family members, especially her
five children and her husband. She climbed four of the Seven Summits (the
highest mountain on each continent), cycled across America from California
to Florida, did over a hundred marathons including at least one in all 50
US states as well as on each of the seven continents, completed over two
dozen IRONMAN races including the IRONMAN World Championships in Kona,
Hawaii, and took on countless long distances swims, treks, ultramarathons,
and more. She began to pursue these feats before her diagnosis, but
continued undaunted after, always preferring to identify as an athlete and
not as a patient.

Isabella graduated from the Academy of the Sacred Heart in Grand Coteau,
Louisiana. She went on to attend Princeton University, where she earned her
undergraduate degree in Politics with a concentration in European Cultural
Studies in 1986. She continued her studies with a Rotary Scholarship in
Aix-en-Provence France in 1987, and then at Columbia Law School, where she
graduated in 1990 and was the first female Editor-in-Chief of the Journal
of Transnational Law.

Throughout her life, Isabella made significant contributions to a number of
fields professionally. She became the Co-Owner of Material Culture, a
retail establishment and auction house in Philadelphia, in 2008 and stayed
actively working on the business until her passing. Prior to that, she had
a successful tenure in the investment banking industry, working for Lehman
Brothers in Hong Kong and New York from 1997 to 2005, and as an
international lawyer at White & Case in New York and Hong Kong from 1990 to
1997.

Isabella was also deeply involved in numerous charitable organizations on a
range of causes that reflected her own diverse interests and passions. She
was a dedicated trustee of Princeton in Asia, Students on Ice, and the
Princeton Arts Council. Additionally, she was a member of the Director's
Council at the Penn Museum and served as a board member for the Give Back
Yoga Foundation and Ride Hard Breathe Easy.

Isabella is survived by her beloved husband, David W. Crane, and their
children, Cason Crane, David H. Crane, Bella Crane, Oliver Crane, and Chris
Crane. She is also survived by her mother Isabella Livaudais De La
Houssaye, her sisters Nadia De La Houssaye and Elise De La Houssaye
Frantzen, and her brother Benton Cason De La Houssaye III. Isabella was
preceded in death by her father, Benton Cason De La Houssaye Jr.

A memorial service to honor Isabella's life will be held on December 15th
at 3:30pm at the Princeton University Chapel on Washington Rd & William
St., Princeton, NJ 08540. Following the memorial service, a celebration of
Isabella's life will take place at 6:00pm at Orchard Hill, located at 3071
Lawrenceville Rd., Lawrenceville, NJ 08648. In accordance with Isabella's
wishes, attendees at both events are encouraged to wear colorful attire as
a celebration of her memory. If attending the service at the Chapel, please
allow ample time for parking in downtown Princeton.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to one of the following
organizations that were dear to Isabella's heart in her memory: LUNGevity,
Students on Ice, Penn Museum, the Princeton Arts Council, or Ride Hard
Breathe Easy. Additionally, those who knew Isabella will understand that
the greatest thing you could do to honor her memory would be to sign up,
participate in and complete an athletic event or other endeavor which is
just outside your current comfort zone. As she was wont to say "it is not
about managing your fears, it is about expanding your comfort zones."

Isabella will be deeply missed by her family, friends, and all those whose
lives she touched. Her extraordinary spirit and enduring legacy will
forever be remembered.