Longtime jUNe Day hospitality chair, poll worker, RTM member, proud Staples High School graduate and avid “06880” reader and commenter Arline Gertzoff died peacefully yestrday morning at St. Vincent’s Hospital.
She had been diagnosed recently with esophogeal cancer.
Her friend Jennifer Johnson called her “a lifetime Westporter, and truly a citizen of the world. She was a proud, dyed-in-the-wool Democrat,” but also “a champion of democracy and international understanding.”
She had many friends across the political aisle too. She was serving her third term as a District 3 member on Westport’s non-partisan Representative Town Meeting.
In her 25 years as hospitality chair for Westport’s jUNe Day, she promoted world peace through friendly interaction between UN visitors and their local hosts.
She spent 20 years as an Election Day poll worker, through the Westport League of Women Voters.
Arline also served many years as co-chair of the Community Outreach Committee of the Westport Democratic Town Committee (from which she received the 2016 Dora Stuttman Campaign Leadership Award). She was a longtime member of the board of the Democratic Women of Westport.
DTC chair Mark Friedman said, “Arline devoted her life to service and to community.Through her work in education, politics and civic organizations, she strengthened the fabric of our civil society and touched the lives of people in Westport and around the world…..
“Arline created a family of friends and admirers and imbued her friendships with insight, wit and love.”
Arline Gertzoff
Have served with her on dtc we were both co chair of out reach I rely sad I will miss her and the town of Westport and Norwalk we’re she was born and always talk a about it from Sal liccione
Unbearably sad news. Heartfelt condolences to her family and friends. Grateful for her selflessness and dedication to making her community a wonderful place to live. She will be long remembered!
She will be missed by so many, especially her classmates.
Arline was one of our most cherished clients at Greg & Tony Salon as well as our cheerleader since we opened in July, 1979 until the last time she was in on August 20th. We will certainly miss everything about her……RIP
Arline had a heart of gold. Westport will miss her so!
Having worked with Arline for over 20 years on the Southwestern CT chapter of the UNA founded by Ruth Steinkraus-Cohen, I am bereft by her loss. She was a dedicated volunteer. All of us in UNA will miss her terribly.
Arline is already deeply missed by her friends and colleagues on the Board of the Democratic Women of Westport. She was always ready to do good work for her community and beyond. She will serve as an example and inspiration to all of us for many years to come.
Arline was a true force of good in Westport. A sad loss for all of us.
Arline was a class act and will be sorely missed, especially on Election Day.
Arline always had a fascinating story to share about her time in Westport or her marvelous adventures abroad. She threw the best parties for the DTC at Ned Dimes every Summer. She loved her work on the RTM and cared so much about this town. She will be deeply missed.
As a fellow classmate of Staples class of 1964…Arline was a true believer in friends for a lifetime…she was instrumental in keeping our class reunited with many reunions and her inspiration at our 50th reunion in honoring our departed classmates with red roses tossed into the sound at Compo Beach will now have to add one more rose for her the next time we all meet.
She was my middle school and high school substitute teacher. She would talk about teaching in Belgium for 26 years, and her favorite, 20th century history.
I never expected to serve RTM with not only my assistant principal Velma Heller, Substitute Jack Klinge, and also Arline. It was middle/high school all over again.
She was instrumental and putting together the group to honor Laddie and Paul Lane when we worked to get the track and field both dedicated.
She would tell her stories about watching Betty Boop and Popeye cartoons during recess where she attended school (which happen to be the now Town Hall).
Arline never sugar coated anything. She said it how she thought it. Her most memorable moment, which she told me last Wednesday, was the vote on the retaining wall for Burying Hill.
Little did anyone know, her parents took her there when she was a toddler. She would continue to go there everyday. So when it came to the final vote, a member (no name) asked, “is this wall and jetty that we’re voting on for ARPA even infrastructure?” I watched as Arline’s head bobbled, she got up so fast, she was walking in the air, and made her way to the microphone. Arline asked, “is this wall and jetty even infrastructure?! What do you think it is, a dead horse?! Of course it’s infrastructure!” The RTM erupted with laughter because we had never heard it be put that way. It passed.
Arline’s final wish was to have her ashes spread at Burying Hill, where her long time pal and friend Jeff’s ashes are. It was her favorite place.
I’ll miss her and glad we got to talk before she left.
Oh, this is such sad news for me. I loved knowing Arline from working on the Library Book Sale over the years. She was four years younger so I didn’t know her at Staples. Thank you, Dan, for suggesting get-well cards for her. I was just about to send one off when I read this update. RIP, lovely Arline! A wonderful person.
I am very sorry to hear of Arline’s passing. Because we were colleagues in many community service-related endeavors, I know how much she loved Westport and how honored she was to serve on the RTM. She also relished her leadership role bringing UN people to Westport each year, and finding Westport homes for them to celebrate American-style Thanksgiving. She adored her Belgian students, and kept in touch with them. May her memory be a blessing to all who knew her.
Arline was a model of the best of us. She was smart, knowledgeable, caring, passionate about good deeds, funny, truly easy to talk to. She had the best stories. She worked hard for causes from neighborhood to international. She was for peace and community and sharing. I can hardly believe I am writing about her in the past tense. Her memory is a blessing and I hope she somehow knows it.
I will remember Arline as the quintessential election poll moderator, which she performed for many years. She was in her element managing the thankless task (even more so these days) of managing voting. She ran a tight ship. No one ever doubted her district vote tallies!
I loved her many stories of her years in Belgium, which she continued to visit regularly. Our families also go way back in Norwalk, and she told me stories of my family I didn’t know about.
Arline has a wicked sense of humor, but was also incredibly compassionate and giving. I will miss her tremendously.
Arline was a good and faithful friend. I have known her for many years, and I have enjoyed her company and the benefits of her ability to organize events. One example would be her having
invited me to help with hospitality to UN Staffers on jUNe Day – a day for these city dwellers to come out to Westport and enjoy swimming, tennis, golf and maybe investigate Earthplace or participate in a soccer game, and have a box lunch. THere would be a message from the UN Undersecretary. This created an opportunity to widen and broaden circles of friendship.
Arline was impossible to miss; she was consistently enthusiastic about everything and always seemed to find the best in ever situation. When Arline and I first met at Staples through the Staples Players and SSTS I remember encountering a force of nature who drove a little Triumph to which her adored father had taped a bright yellow plastic daisy onto the antenna because as he said “it symbolized her sunny personality”.
During the ensuing 60 years in various town activities where I would encounter her that spirit never wavered and her love for all things Westport never diminished.
She was special and will be missed by her many friends of a lifetime we’ll lived.
I was lucky to know Arline. When I first moved to town, she and I worked together year after year on the DTC wine tasting. She was always wonderful to work with, talk to and sit back and listen to as she recounted all of her wonderful Westport stories. She gave so much of herself to the town of Westport over the years and made it better in so many ways unique to her. Rest In Peace Arline.
Arline loved Westport and dedicated herself to volunteering and helping to make the town a better place. At a time when it can be challenging to gather volunteers, she was always ready to help. May her memory be for a blessing.