Arlene Julius ’71

Arlene died peacefully Nov. 8, 2019, at home after years of living with serious health issues.

Arlene died peacefully Nov. 8, 2019, at home after years of dealing with serious health issues. Never one to complain, Arlene inspired everyone she knew with her independence, resiliency, and remarkable ability to cope with whatever challenges came her way.

Arlene lived in Highland Park, N.J., where she was valedictorian of her high school class. She attended Mount Holyoke College and Douglass College before transferring to Princeton in 1969, the first year the University admitted women. Her sister, Barbara ’72 (originally ’73), entered Princeton as a freshman that year, and the two enjoyed the distinction of being the first sisters to attend the University. At Princeton, Arlene majored in sociology and lived in Little Hall her senior year with Robbie Wyper Shell ’71. After graduation Arlene worked as a film librarian and earned a master’s degree in library science at Rutgers University. Always a gifted mathematician, she went on to study computer science and spent most of her career as a computer programmer at Bell Labs, AT&T, and Telcordia.

In many ways Arlene was ahead of her time. Her love of programming came before most women entered the field and when she retired she turned to crossword puzzles as a way to keep her razor-sharp mind active. She developed a lifelong love of jogging and walking back in the ’60s, when running shoes were no more than black Converse sneakers and decades before mindfulness entered the vernacular. To the end, she was grateful for the ability to take long, meditative walks and would greet neighbors with her radiant smile, which shone through even in her most trying moments.

If Arlene had one passion, it was a love of friends and family. She was always there for anyone who needed her help and took great joy in the accomplishments of those around her. To borrow from the reflection of her Princeton roommate, “She was one of the smartest, kindest, most beautiful and caring of human beings. Her life is a testament to a fighting spirit, a compassion and loyalty to others despite her own pain, and an ability to sustain friendships that lasted decades.”

Arlene is survived by her sister, Barbara Julius ’72; brother-in-law Marc Silberberg; nephew Jesse Silberberg; and niece Molly Silberberg ’11.