A Celebration of Life for Irene Moses Hein 47 of Deland who passed away on Saturday September 29 2007 at Halifax Medical Center Daytona Beach will be held on Saturday at 10:00 AM at The Lohman Funeral Home Ormond Beach Chapel with Big John officiating. Surviving her are her husband Jaii M. Hein a son Jason and his wife Candice Moses Gainesville FL her mother Irene Devlin a Granddaughter McKenzie Irene Moses 4 brothers James and his wife Nicola Devlin Melbourne FL Thomas Devlin Port Orange Frank and his wife Melissa Devlin Egg Harbor NJ and Dennis Devlin Daytona Beach. Irene was born in Atlantic City NJ February 12 1960.
Irene Moses Hein never allowed her lifelong battle with muscular dystrophy to keep her from working hard and savoring what her work made possible friends say. And as one of the Volusia-Flagler area's best-known champions of disability access rights she never stopped urging friends disabled or able-bodied - to make the most of their own lives.
Moses Hein died Saturday at 47 after suffering a brain aneurysm Thursday morning.
She frequently used a wheelchair but never let her condition ""slow her down or control her life friend and colleague Julie Shaw said Saturday. ""She lived her life first as Irene. Her disability was secondary. She was the perfect example of independent living.""
Admired for her warmth and wit Moses Hein built a statewide network of business leaders and public officials over years of efforts to ensure accessibility to employment housing government offices businesses recreation spots and polling places. Modifications were secured both by lobbying threat of lawsuit and her work as an accessibility design consultant. But unpaid service occupied most of her time. In 2005 Moses Hein waged a long and acrimonious legal battle to replace the staff of a state-funded disability services office she had helped establish in Ormond Beach. She started the fight after learning the center was helping just a handful of clients.
As board president of the renamed disAbility Solutions for Independent Living Moses Hein brought in Shaw as new executive director and helped expand the center's client list to its current 60. The center is Moses Hein's ""legacy Shaw said. ""If she had given up like so many other people did we wouldn't be here today. (State) funds were getting pulled Dec. 31. That center would be gone."" Moses Hein served on the Volusia County Elections Advisory Board to the state Division of Elections and was a strong supporter of touch-screen voting equipment even as opposition to the machines mounted in recent years because they leave no paper trail. This fall she worked under contract for Elections Supervisor Ann McFall giving 40 hour-long pollworker training sessions and stressing access for disabled voters. McFall was a County Council member when Moses Hein would address the council to seek accessibility at county facilities. ""If Irene came into a council meeting you knew you were in trouble. She had her platform and knew she was going to get it through and usually did."" For disabled friends and associates Moses Hein acted as advocate social worker big sister and party hostess. Wheelchairs and service dogs were encouraged at parties and concerts at the Lake Beresford home she shared with her husband Jaii Hein. During power outages following the 2004 hurricanes the couple drove a generator around to people who needed their chairs and scooters recharged. ""She functioned as a center herself Shaw said. ""Anyone could go to her and she would help them."" Until recently the couple split their residency between Volusia County and Ocean City N.J. where Moses Hein owned and operated a retail store on that city's oceanfront boardwalk. She married Hein a graphic artist and sound engineer in 2006. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions can be made in Irene's name to continue her legacy to the Irene Moses Hein Foundation C/O disAbilty Solutions 475 S. Nova Rd. Ormond Beach FL 32174. The Celebration of Irene's Life will continue at The Dessert Inn 900 N. Atlantic Ave. Daytona Beach FL. Condolences may be shared with the family online at www.lohmanfuneralhomes.com. Arrangements are under the careful direction of Lohman Funeral Home Ormond.