Arlene Morrison, 98, of State College, died Thursday, November 21, 2024, at Juniper Village at Brookline.
Born November 28, 1925, in Flushing, NY, she was the daughter of the late Adolph and late Helen Bindbeutel Zipf. On June 14, 1947 in Whitestone, Long Island, NY, she married Charles William (Bill) Morrison, who preceded her in death.
She is survived by her son Richard Jay Morrison and his wife, Rebecca Susan of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; son Robert Wayne Morrison, and his wife, Jamie Louise of Boalsburg; her daughter, Vicki Lynn Parks of Boalsburg; as well as six grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
Arlene graduated from Bayside High School in the City of New York in January 1943. As a young woman, she worked in offices in New York City and Columbus, OH, and was highly valued by her employers for her keen secretarial and administrative skills. She left the workplace to raise her children at home, and moved with her husband Bill to Greenville, PA in 1949, where they built a house in which they lived for most of their over six decades of marriage until Bill’s death. There they gardened, gathered wild blackberries, hung laundry on the line to dry in the breeze, and were never too busy to help out their neighbors.
Arlene had a lifelong love of being outdoors swimming, sailing and picnicking. One of her fondest childhood memories was of spending time at her family’s bungalow on Long Island and swimming in the ocean. As their children grew, Arlene and Bill took up new activities together. They played bridge, bowled, and learned to golf; Arlene was very proud of her hole-in-one. On vacations, they traveled across the United States, pulling a trailer, and then decided to spend a few months of each winter in a mobile home park in Texas, where they made many friends. But they also traveled more widely, visiting places as widespread and varied as Australia, Europe, Mexico, Panama, Russia, and China, to name but a few.
In her later years, Arlene enjoyed making new friends at Brookline in Juniper Village. She continued to be an avid bridge player and loved to teach others how to play this classic card game. Rummikub was another favorite game which she not only played, but taught to other residents of Juniper Village, as well as to some of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She even won a city-wide Rummikub tournament. Her mind was sharp to the end, and her love of life undiminished.
Services will be private and at the convenience of the family.
Memorial contributions in remembrance of Arlene may be made to a charity of the donor’s choice.
Arrangements are under the care of Koch Funeral Home, State College. Online condolences may be entered at www.kochfuneralhome.com or visit us on Facebook.