Arlene Sable

October 23, 1932 - June 4, 2021

Arlene Sable, beloved wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother passed away on June 4, 2021. Her husband of 64 years, Edward Sable died six months prior.

Born in Passaic, NJ to Dorothy and Irving Rosenthal, Arlene lived with her mother, step father, Harry Levy and sister Terry, with a large extended family of aunts, uncles and cousins nearby. She attended public school in Passaic where she made life long friends. Arlene loved Saturday afternoon radio shows, movies with friends and the Jersey Shore. After high school, Arlene attended Berkeley Secretarial School.

On December 30, 1954 Arlene went on a blind date with Ed Sable. He was struck by her brilliant blue eyes and red hair. She initially dismissed him as too young, but he won her over with his charm, smile and quick wit. Three months later Ed entered the air force and left for Chandler, Arizona. They spent most of their courtship and engagement corresponding through letters and an occasional "long distance" phone call. They married on April 8, 1956.

Arlene and Ed raised their family at 3 Marcy Place in West Orange, NJ. They had three children, Susanne, David and Andi and two dogs, Dino and Spunky. Arlene described herself as a wife, mother and "household engineer" during the days when her children were in school. She was active in the National Council of Jewish Women. She and Ed enjoyed playing tennis, dinners out with their friends and attending Broadway shows. Arlene was an avid reader and there were always stacks of books, magazines and newspapers in the house. Arlene was drawn to art and nature and taught her children to appreciate the beauty of fall trees, the night sky and landscapes.

During their time in West Orange and later, Monroe Township, Arlene and Ed welcomed Joe Lustig, Priya Mayadas and Ron Finkelstein into the family. Arlene hosted many large holidays over the years with an ever expanding group of loved ones. Arlene's greatest joy came with the birth of each of her seven grandchildren, Joshua, Kimberly, Lindsay, Sam, Nikhil, Dana and Tarana. More joy came when Jason Litt, Shephen Luhman and Jinyoung Park joined the family. Arlene was especially delighted by the newest members of her family, great grandchildren, Miriam and Eliza.

Arlene spent the last year of her life at Brightview Assisted Living where she formed strong bonds with the staff during the exceptionally challenging year of COVID-19 lockdowns. During the last month of her life Arlene remarked that her 88 years went by fast. The mark of a life well led.

Donations in Arlene's memory can be made to Autism Speaks, JSSA Hospice (jssa.org) and Dress for Success.