Arlene J. McQuade

Arlene J. McQuade, 92 of Arlington Heights, IL was born on January 15, 1933, to the late Albert and Elizabeth, and passed away on August 17, 2025. Arlene was the beloved wife to the late Frank McQuade for 45 wonderful years before he passed in April of 2009. Loving mother to Michael (Erika) McQuade; dear grandmother to Ava McQuade; fond sister to the late Lorraine Derenski and the late Al (late Joan); and dear aunt to John (Doreen) Derenski, Mark (Dawn) Derenski, Daniel (Lyn) Derenski, Paul (Carrie), Tim (late Diane), Eddie (Lynn) Dempsey, late Wayne Dempsey, Ricky McQuade, Tom Boughtah, Cari-Anne, Bonnie (Chet) Patchell, Vicki (Eric) Dick, late Sharon Dempsey, late Judy (Billy) Turcotte, Laurie (Steve) Peabody, Lynn (Charles) Brown, Robin, Cathy, Michelle, and Susan.

Arlene was a nurse her entire career since graduating from the Wolther Memorial Hospital School of Nursing in 1954 as class president. Her favorite role was as a courier nurse on the Santa Fe Railway Chicago-Los Angeles-San Francisco route from 1958-1963, where she served the travelers with great compassion and care, including Harry Truman, Ronald Reagan, and Bette Davis. This position also allowed her to visit her sister and beloved nephews in California often. Arlene left the Santa Fe railway so that she could re-establish her Chicago roots, accepting a position as a corporate nurse at Liberty Mutual Insurance where she promptly met her future husband, Frank. They were married two weeks after they met, and enjoyed a loving, strong marriage until he passed away 45 years later. They moved to Arlington Heights in 1967 and lived there the rest of their lives, where they raised their son Michael, and where Arlene was a Psychiatric Nurse at Northwest Community Hospital before retiring after 20 years of serving patients.

She will be missed dearly.

There will be a Celebration of Life service at the Lutheran Home on Friday, September 12th at 3 PM.