Funeral Details

Arlene Lee Melcer fought for what she believed in, lived for her family and friends, and loved the arts and education. She was 84 years old when she died of COVID-19 on Saturday, Dec. 19, 2020 in St. Louis, Mo.

Born Arlene Lee Glassman in Detroit, Mich., she married the late Irving Melcer at the age of 18 and they shared 63 years together. She was the loving mother of David (Carol) Melcer, Sylvia (Bob) Reincke, Allen (Barbara) Melcer, Marshall (Felicia) Melcer and Rachel (Patrick) Thimangu. She adored her grandchildren, Adriane Anthony, Dan Maciejewski, Aaron and Noah Melcer, Edward (Becky) and Steven (Gina) Melcer, Benjamin and Eva Thimangu. And she will be missed by many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

Arlene delighted in being a troublemaker of the best kind. She would tell how, as a young wife and mother, she and a friend wandered into a Black Panther sit-in at a suburban Chicago college where they were taking evening classes - and stayed to join the fight for Civil Rights. She brought her children to political rallies and marches, teaching them to fight for social justice and against nuclear weapons. A staunch liberal Democrat, she volunteered for many campaigns and loved having a front-row seat at presidential primary events while living in Ames, Iowa.

While she never realized an early dream of becoming a nurse, Arlene loved learning and throughout her life pursued education. She was proud to be among few girls attending Cass Technical Senior High School in Detroit; took classes in childhood development at Prairie State University in Chicago Heights, Ill.; and attended both regular undergraduate and non-credit classes for seniors at Iowa State University. She bragged at every opportunity about the higher education of her children and grandchildren.

Arlene also periodically taught Jewish Sunday school classes, and most recently was the children’s librarian at Ames Jewish Congregation, where she and her husband were active members. She studied Hebrew and was called to the Torah as a Bat Mitzvah in her early 70s.

She also enjoyed the arts, ensuring that her children and grandchildren attended live theater, visited museums and stayed up late watching classic movies. Arlene was always surrounded by books and, as a young woman, wrote poetry. She loved to hear her husband croon a favorite Spanish love song and sing in their synagogue choir.

Arlene had an incredible memory for family lore and relationships. She recounted stories going back generations and could find cousins in the most unexpected places.

Although she suffered from multiple sclerosis for 60 years, she never let it defeat her.

Funeral services will be held in Chicago at 1:30PM CST on Tuesday. To keep everyone safe and healthy, the interment service will be private and Shiva (visitation) will be held via Zoom virtual meetings at 6PM CST, December 23, 2020 - December 28, 2020. To attend the funeral live stream, or join Shiva Zooms, please visit www.cjfinfo.com. Arrangements by Chicago Jewish Funerals - Skokie Chapel, 847.229.8822