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AKARTA: Israella Parera Darmawan, 67, a retired elementary school teacher, who once taught US President Barack Obama, passed away on Friday morning at the Siloam Hospital in Karawaci, Tangerang, Banten.

Israella, better known as Ibu Is, was a former teacher at Fransiskus Asisi elementary school in Menteng Dalam, Tebet, South Jakarta. She died after having been treated for a week due to complications with her liver and diabetes.

Israella is survived by her husband Dharmawan Wahyudi, 74, and three children: Franciscus Wahyu Iswanto, 40, Martha Dian Sri Iswanto, 38, and Wandy Wibowo Iswandi, 35, and four grandchildren.

Her youngest son, Wandy, said the family had decided to bury her at the San Diego Hills Memorial Park cemetery in Karawang, West Java, on Sunday morning.

Wandy was quoted as saying by tribunnews.com on Saturday that the family would hold a mass to pay their last respects to the deceased at Sint Carolus Hospital on Saturday evening.

Israella was teaching at then Fransiskus Strada Asisi when little Obama, better known as Barry, studied at the school for three years from 1968 to 1970. Barry later moved to SDN 01 Menteng state elementary school in
Central Jakarta for one and half years before moving to the US.