Julia Caroline Lenel

1952 - 2021

Julia Caroline Lenel

Iowa City - Julia Caroline Lenel, 69 of Iowa City passed away on April 17, 2021 at home of Alzheimer's disease. She was born March 30, 1952 in Albany, New York. In 1981, Julia married Kevin Berbaum in Troy, New York.

Julia graduated from Emma Willard School in 1970. She earned a BA from the University of Rochester in 1973, an MA in Measurement & Statistics and a PhD in Experimental Psychology in 1981 from the University of Iowa. Julia had a number of jobs most of which involved teaching, scientific research, or testing. She taught psychology at Cornell College from 1981 to 1984 and elementary statistics at the University of Iowa from 1995 to 2000. Her specialty was licensure testing and she worked with groups responsible for preparing examinations used to license professionals (lawyers, doctors, actuaries). Her job was to oversee the test-making process beginning with the writing of individual questions, assembling the test, scoring the test, and setting a passing score. She was director of law programs at ACT from 1986 until 1989. She published a series of six articles in The Bar Examiner during 1989-92 explaining testing issues to a general audience. She was manager of test development for the Society of Actuaries, from 1997 until 2001. From 2001 until 2008, Dr. Lenel was an independent consultant for licensure and certification examinations.

During 1990, she did human factors research for the CAD Center in the UI College of Engineering where she assisted in obtaining the grant for the National Advanced Driving Simulator. She was a research investigator for the UIHC Department of Pathology from 1993 until 1995. Dr. Lenel published five papers in psychology journals during 1981-85 and was a contributing author on six papers in pathology journals during 1994-96.

She contributed an archive created by her father to the Center for Jewish History in Leo Baeck Institute called the Fritz Victor Lenel Family Collection, 1773-2010. Julia helped to organize a conference on the Middle East held at Coe College during in 2005 which was co-sponsored by Iowa Friends of Sabeel. In 2006, Julia participated in a tour of Israel and Palestine to witness for peace and human rights and gather information to inform US congressional aides.

Julia was a West Branch Day Care board member and served as president from 1990 to 1998. She was a dedicated volunteer and supporter who served on many committees, setting up budget and policies for the growing non-profit community daycare center. Former director Dea Hoeme notes Julie's mentorship helped to set the course for what became the current location and programs. As a volunteer, Julia taught algebra in the West Branch Middle School during a teacher shortage in 1997. Later, Julia would volunteer at the Iowa City Crisis Center.

Julia began to experience symptoms of memory loss in early 2008 and was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease in late 2012. She lived at home on Whiting Avenue with Kevin until the end.

Julie was a jewelry maker using glasswork beads. She took long walks with her dog. She sang with her sisters, played flute and piano, and liked to study German and French. Above all, she loved babies and kids, especially her own. She was a wonderful wife and mother.

She is survived by her brother Albert Lenel (Doris) of Miami, Florida, and her sisters Katherine Lenel of Iowa City, Margaret Graham (Ken) of Cooloongup, Western Australia, and Ruth Williams (Steve) of Mayo, Florida and by her daughter Jocelyn Koolbeck (Jesse), her granddaughter Corrina Koolbeck of Iowa City, and her nephew Benjamin Waugh of Iowa City. She was preceded in death by her son Lawrence Colin Berbaum and her parents Fritz and Margaret Lenel (Schroy).

Memorials may be made to the West Branch Community Learning Center or to the Iowa City Crisis Center. Thanks to her nephew, Benjamin Waugh, and to her sister, Kathy Lenel, who moved to Iowa City to help care for Julie. Thanks also to the Iowa City Hospice who helped so much in Julia's last months.

Online condolences may be shared with her family at www.lensingfuneral.com