Arlene Tupper

Arlene passed away on Tuesday, May 26, 2020. Ironically that was her late husband, Dean's birthday. Maybe they had a little celebration in heaven that day. Arlene was spiritual and had a tremendous spirit for fun and adventure. When people heard of her passing, they said, "Wow, Arlene has had a great life - lived it to the fullest, she was a great wife, mom, friend, sister, funny as can be, and always looking for a new adventure." Her zest for life and fun couldn't be stopped. She would be on a cruise with Janice Johnson, her best friend of 70 years, and they would be booking the next adventure before they even got home. She would insist we all wear boas on our cruises. The boas would start the party she would say. But it was her dancing that got it started. She danced like a mom, but that didn't stop her. She was the first female bus driver for Metro Transit in the city of Seattle and King County. She would tell you that she was most proud that she was the first female supervisor for Metro Transit. She was a trailblazer. Arlene retired at 53, Dean at 55, to start the biggest adventure of their lives. They sailed their 63 ft catamaran from Seattle south, via San Diego, through the Panama Canal (she was the official captain on her 55th birthday for that transition through the canal), to the Caribbean Sea, and on to Cartagena, Columbia. They swam with dolphins, snorkeled, spent time with locals, and washed dishes with ocean water. They really lived the good life. After about 5 years, they left Columbia and moved to Mazatlan, Mexico, where life was just as magical with their dogs Muñeca (Doll) and Galletta (Cookie). Warm weather, swimming, no socks, no schedules, fresh squeezed OJ, guacamole, and tons of shrimp. They made lots of good friends like Frank and Doris, Meliton and Maria, Jose' Luis and Yolanda, Maria Elena, Lee, Kathy, Wilma, Eileen, Valerie and the list just goes on and on. During her 23 years in Mexico, she learned Spanish quite well by trading English lessons. Arlene returned to Washington last October and enjoyed living at Bonaventure where she played bingo with many new-found friends. She attended weekly "safety meetings" at a variety of local establishments with her daughter Shelly, friend Rosemary and a close group of Chelan County friends. She loved music and singing, and she played the violin. Some of her favorite things were chatting, wine tasting, dining out for lunch, tequila, swimming, water aerobics, shopping and gambling. Whenever she got a chance, she would bet on each round of Wheel of Fortune. She was a great planner and fabulous cook. When her dad would show up with a van load of apples, she put the family to work. Dean ran the apple peeler, Tami made the crust, Shelly made the filling mixture, Connie assembled and Arlene supervised the entire operation. In that one day the family stowed away 30 fresh baked apple pies in the deep freezer for the next rainy day. Arlene was predeceased by Dean Tupper, her husband of 46 years, and her parents, Ed and Dorathy Bjorklund. She is survived by her three daughters Tami King (and Craig), Shelly Huffman (and Grant) and Connie Tupper. She leaves behind four grandchildren, Erin Bechtel (and Luke), Justin King (and Catherine), Katie King and Ryan King. Arlene was blessed with three great grandchildren, Milo, Elle and Aden Bechtel. Her surviving siblings are sister LaVerne Talbott (and Len) and brother Lee Bjorklund (and Jean) as well as her sister-in-law Shirley Cate. Her full life included nieces and nephews, Ken Talbott (and Teri), Diana Talbott, Karla Ogle (and Jared, sons Einar and Soren) and Tor Bjorklund (and Jessica, sons Lars and Oden), Nyla Redford, (deceased), Jerry Neil Cate (deceased), and Myra Marshall. She had the honor of being the godmother of Joy Johnson and "auntie" to Brian Johnson and Julie Key. Arlene opened her home to host three foreign exchange students, Sonia Gusmao (Brazil), Mayumi Yokoyama (Japan) and Tatsuhiko Yusa (Japan). Arlene Tupper, born in October 1937 in Seattle, Washington, passed away peacefully in East Wenatchee, Washington. Arlene will be truly missed and never forgotten, her delightful spirit touching our hearts forever. Arrangements by Chapel of the Valley, Wenatchee, WA. You are invited to visit Arlene's online memorial at https://www.chapelofthevalleyncw.com/memorials/arlene-tupper/4227107/index.php.

Arlene Tupper

October 27, 1937 - May 26, 2020