Obituary of Arline Meany

After almost a century of living, Arline passed away peacefully on April 17, 2015. She was born in New York City on October 2, 1916, the oldest of eight children. She lived and worked in the City until she enlisted in the United States Navy in 1943. She proudly served in the Medical Corps teaching Operating Room Techniques. While stationed in Norman, Oklahoma she met her husband, George who was also in the Navy. They married in 1946 and had two children: Patricia (Pam) Sommella and John (Jack). In 1950 the family moved to Nyack, New York. For many years she would refer to this suburban area as "the sticks." In later years she moved to Orangeburg and Washingtonville, New York and, three and a half years ago, to Beverly, Massachusetts. Her career, which lasted into her seventies, included working for Orange & Rockland Utilities, Chrysler Motors and Xerox. In retirement she enjoyed volunteering at her local Senior Center and Arden Hill Hospital. Throughout her seventies and eighties she never viewed herself as old and resisted actually joining the Senior group for many years. She always enjoyed the time she spent with her grandchildren: David and Christopher Sommella, Erika Coletti and Patrick Meany. In her later years her joys were her great-grandchildren: Ethan and Andrew Sommella and Maeve and Brynn Coletti. In her long life she saw many changes and had experiences she could not possibly imagine as a young girl. She now joins George, her parents, four siblings and many friends who have predeceased her. She will always live on in the hearts of those she left behind. A Funeral Mass will be held on Saturday, April 25th, 10:00 AM at St. Paul's RC Church, 200 Wyckoff Avenue, Ramsey, NJ 07446. As an expression of sympathy, donations in Arline's memory may be made to Compassionate Care Hospice, 800 West Cummings Park, Suite 3400, Woburn, MA 01801. Arrangements by the Vander Plaat Funeral Home, www.vpfh.com, 257 Godwin Ave., Wyckoff, NJ.