Arlene Ann Baranda

Arlene O’Donnell Baranda of Missouri City, Texas passed away on January 29, 2025, at the age of 89. She was born on April 26, 1935, in Melrose, Massachusetts where and her family lived until moving to Houston, Texas in the late 1940s, where she attended St. Christopher Catholic School. The family moved to Pasadena, Texas in 1950 and Arlene graduated from Pasadena High School in 1954. Arlene worked as a telephone operator after graduating high school and got a cute apartment with her sister Maureen.

She opened her own business, Artisan De Mexico in 1969, a retail store in the Westbury Square shopping center, specializing in hand made clothing and artistic products of all kinds from Mexico. That business evolved to Artisan Fashions, a women’s boutique specializing in “Unusual Clothing from Around the World”, and that company carries on today as Artisan Designs, LLC., specializing in wearable art and European designs.

When not running her business, she enjoyed playing Table Shuffleboard, and participated in tournament league play for many years. She was one of the best. She was known in the shuffleboard world as Arlene the Dream and had many friends. Arlene had a soft spot for animals and had many dogs and cats she adored like family. She was their mother. She raised pure breed Labrador retrievers and trained and sold them as well. She was a strong, independent woman, who helped raise two stepchildren and raised three natural children as a single mother after the death of her former husband. She was strong-willed and generous and had a caring heart. While running Artisan, Arlene took great joy in giving her customers a highly personalized experience. Everyone loved her. Arlene possessed a wonderful sense of humor and was not afraid to use it. Her love, courageous spirit, and sharp wit will always be remembered by her family and friends and all she met.

Arlene was preceded in death by her parents, JJ and Lilly O’Donnell, of Pasadena Texas, former husband George Baranda, brothers James Joseph (Jimmy) O’Donnell and John Edward (Jackie) O’Donnell, and sisters Mary Florence (Maureen) Sweeney and Rosaleen Rita (Rosie) Licce, and great grandson Braydon Joseph Milligan.

She is survived by her sister Betty Sprouse, son Gary Baranda, daughter Teresa Wiley and husband Joseph Wiley, and daughter Anne-Marie Engel and husband David Engel, stepdaughter Laura Baranda Valencia, step-son Jorge Baranda (sadly, died 2 days after Arlene), grandchildren Ned Kleinworth, Kassi Kleinworth, and Brittany Milligan and husband Sean Milligan, and great grandchildren Kian, Aubrey, and Brynleigh Milligan.

Family and friends are invited to attend a memorial service at the Chapel of Angels at Forest Park Lawndale, 6900 Lawndale Street, Houston, TX on Friday, February 7th at 11:00 A.M. Visitation with the family will begin at 10:00 A.M. Interment to follow at 12:00 P.M.