Arlene Bloom

Arlene was born on March 11, 1933 in Chelsea, Massachusetts to Sarah and Louis Perlis. Arlene's career was as a teacher and educator. From her start as an intrepid 5 year old girl at Shirtliff Elementary School through to her graduation from Chelsea High School, and then Boston University, from where she earned both a bachelor's degree and a master's degree, Arlene established a love of teaching and of teachers.
On August 17, 1958, Arlene married Herbert Bloom, who predeceased her on March 21, 2018. On August 26th, 2024, nine days after what would have been their 66th wedding anniversary, she passed away.
Arlene and Herb were a partnership – and together they moved to new places that they never had thought about as individuals. In addition to Chelsea, Roxbury, Mattapan and Medford, Arlene and Herb lived in Carbondale, Hazel Crest and Flossmoor, Illinois, and only then in Westport, Connecticut. But each place they went, Arlene forged new friendships and connections, starting bridge groups, enhancing speaker series, going to plays, and enjoying new friends.
Arlene was focused on the hundreds of students she taught over the course of 20 years, many of whom stayed in touch with her to tell her that they were glad that she had told them "to not give up", that she could always see what they were doing "because she had eyes in the back of her head", and that they "had reason to be proud of themselves and should pat themselves on the back." She ultimately left the classroom and focused on teaching teachers how to accommodate differences amongst students in the classroom, without pulling students out which could make them feel as if they didn't belong.
Arlene was one of the early protectors of consumers; she opposed all fees charged for car leases, credit cards and mortgages. She had a radar alert for scams. If there had been a consumer protection bureau in her early days, she would have been the head of it.
Arlene was a devoted and passionate friend. She spent hours on phone calls, listening to friends and helping them analyze their situations. She believed in connecting people and joining them together to create joyful coincidences. Well before cell phones, she had a red phone book containing hand-written names of family and friends, their birthdays, and holiday card lists. This red phone book, held together with a rubberband, was a priceless possession because it contained vast loving universes of friends and love.
Arlene's organizational skills were legendary. She believed every logistical challenge had a solution. She could figure out how to be in three places at one time without batting an eye, and as a result, nothing was ever impossible. All was do-able, the sky was the limit, and all problems had solutions.
Amongst Arlene's many activities, Arlene was president of her Illinois chapter of the League of Women Voters, a leader of the Westport Y's Women, and an avid bridge player.
Arlene leaves behind her daughter Sarah, son Kenneth and four devoted grandchildren, each of whom she loved unconditionally and singled out for their unique accomplishments. In December 2020, she lost her only grandson, Thomas Bloom Raskin, whom she would say had a twinkle in his eye as he greeted her in Maryland and took her suitcase in. Sarah is married to Jamie Raskin and their daughters are Hannah (married to Hank Kronick) and Tabitha (married to Ryan Vogel). Kenneth is married to Abby Meiselman and their daughters are Phoebe and Lily.
Arlene had two abiding characteristics – 1--the love of friends and family connections, and 2 -- the central importance of urging young people to aspire, reach high and know that they could create worlds of betterment and impact.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in Arlene's memory can be made to the Tommy Raskin Memorial Fund for People and Animals, https://tommyraskinfund.org