Arlene Jane Brandt
On Thursday, April 1st, 2021, Arlene Brandt, loving wife, and mother of two boys, passed away at age 89.
She was born in Cincinnati, Ohio on April 9th, 1931 to the late Alfred and Eleanor Borcherding. She was preceded in death by her sister Evelyn Borcherding Harriger (Roy) and her nephew Bill.
Arlene is survived by Valjean to whom she was married for more than 66 years and her two sons: Kevin (Nancy) and Martin (Donna). She was grandmother to Ashley (Tim) Schirmann, Ellie (John) Nixon, Nathan (Alexis) Brandt, Megan (Brad) Hines, Delaney Brandt, Parker Brandt and Carson Brandt and great-grandmother to Nora, Finley, Brody, Ella, Oaklynd and Owen and two additional great-grandchildren due in June and August. She was also aunt, cousin, and friend to countless others.
She graduated from Western Hills High School in 1949. In 1953, she graduated from Miami University with an undergraduate degree in teaching. Being adventurous and independent-minded, Arlene applied for and accepted a primary school teaching position 2,100 miles across the country in San Bernardino, California.
While in California, Arlene met Valjean, a native Iowan, who was serving in the Navy on board the USS Bremerton based in Long Beach. Upon Val’s discharge the two decided to move back east. Arlene and Val were married on November 25th, 1955 in Cincinnati, Ohio. They chose this date to honor her parents who were also married on the same date in 1924.
Arlene taught kindergarten, worked privately as a graphic layout artist, gardened, and raised two boys among many other family activities. She was active in her church community and especially enjoyed traveling. Family vacations to Iowa and Florida along with weekend camping trips with the trailer gave her a broad perspective on life. On more than one occasion she lamented to the sleeping boys in the back seat that they were missing America as they passed an ever-changing landscape.
Arlene and Val continued their domestic travels and in 1984 their horizons expanded further when Martin and Donna invited them on a 17-day tour of Europe. This was the first of several trips to Europe and an introduction to their favorite destination: Switzerland. Eventually, they visited all 50 U.S. states, parts of Canada, the Caribbean and Mexico and nearly a dozen European countries. The culmination of their travels was a 50th wedding anniversary trip to Switzerland with the entire family.
Their local and regional travel continued with extended weekends with friends and family at their cabin on the Ohio River watching the barges and Delta Queen go by. They made annual trips to visit Kevin in the national parks and later to his family’s alpaca farm in Maryland where she helped with shearing and other farm activities.
The family will receive friends on April 11th, 2021 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., at Pilgrim United Church of Christ, 4418 Bridgetown Rd, Cincinnati, OH 45211. If you attend, please note that all CDC requirements must be followed including the appropriate wearing of masks and maintaining social distancing.
A graveside service will be held at Arlington Memorial Gardens on Monday April 12th, 2021.
Memorials can be made to a charity of your choice or to a memorial garden to be set up by the family. Memorials will be accepted at Pilgrim United Church of Christ, 4418 Bridgetown Rd, Cincinnati, OH 45211.
The family would like to thank all the doctors, nurses and caregivers who helped with her care through the years.
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