Arlene Hartley Camm Melen

Arlene Hartley Camm Melen Died of cancer at age 58, surrounded by her family on December 29, 2009. She was born on September 21, 1951 in Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington, D.C. to Major Frank and Arlene Camm. Proud of her old, traditional Virginia heritage, she was a true Army Brat who grew up across the United States, Japan and Germany. Arlene graduated from Wakefield High School and the Civitan Civic Association designated her "The Most Outstanding Senior Girl in Arlington County." Graduating with a BA from Stanford University in 1973, she also earned an MA in Economics in 1974 and an MBA in 1978. After working with Stanford's property management group, she joined the fledgling Apple Computer, where she rose to become International Treasurer in the Pacific. Arlene delighted in her sons Samuel, Nicholas, and John, daughter Michelle, and husband Roger Melen. Arlene stopped work to enjoy her marriage and family, focusing on community affairs, church and steering her children through school. When her children were grown, Arlene became a high school teacher, teaching AP Economics, World Diplomacy and Psychology at Palo Alto High School. The passion she had for learning the art of teaching was only eclipsed by the passion she had for her students. She spent many nights cheering for her students while grading their exams. More important than the milestones she accomplished were the values by which she led her life. Above all things, she valued honesty and hard work and possessed a voracious appetite for knowledge as evidenced by her voluminous and wide-ranging library. Despite her pragmatic underpinnings, she was a southern romantic at heart, full of wonderful idiosyncrasies (she believed Dragons were real… and she had the evidence to prove it) and a goofy sense of humor. Her exuberant personality and gift of gab attracted friends wherever she went. She left indelible memories. It was her joy to see son Sam earn a Ph.D., marry a fine woman, Cara Dow, and have a son. She saw her second son Nick mature into a fine Army officer trained for the elite Special Forces. She saw daughter Michelle achieve law review at Whittier Law School, and her youngest son John finish high school and start his freshman year at Wake Forest University. When she was diagnosed with cancer, her goal was to see her grandson Nicholas born and hold him in her arms and to have her beloved family all together for Christmas. True to her character, she achieved her goals and although her life was shorter than many, she lived it to the fullest. She is survived by her husband, Dr. Roger Melen of Los Altos Hills CA; son Dr. Samuel and Mrs. Cara Williams and their son Nicholas of San Mateo, CA; son Nick of Fayetteville, NC; daughter Michelle Melen in Whittier Law School; son John Melen in Wake Forest University; brother Dr. Frank and Mrs. Nancy Camm of Alexandria, VA; and parents Lt. Gen, Frank and Mrs. Arlene Camm of Fort Belvoir, VA.