Obituaries
Obituaries are updated regularly and archived on JN Online:
www.detroitjewishnews.corn
She Tried To Make Life Bette'
KIMBERLY LIPTON
Special to the Jewish News
and Stabenow, Attorney General
Jennifer Granholm and U.S. Reps.
Sander Levin and Lynn Rivers.
A
Leading With Her Heart
four-sided peace pole
inscribed with the
phrase "May peace pre-
vail on earth" may best
capture the spirit of Arlene Victor.
Planted in a garden by the
entrance to her
home, each side of
the peace pole
conveys her mes-
sage of peace in a
different language:
English, Russian,
Hebrew and
Spanish.
"Arlene was very
concerned about
peace issues," said
U.S. Sen. Debbie
Stabenow. "She
truly believed
every individual
can make a differ-
ence and that
Arlene Victor
everyone is obli-
gated to give back
to the community.
Mrs. Victor — a nationally rec-
ognized social activist, political
fund-raiser and philanthropist —
died of cancer at sundown as the
Sabbath began Friday, July 26. She
was 68.
"She was one of the kindest,
most compassionate and honest
people I have ever known," said
her husband of 45 years, Steven.
"She was very concerned about
other people and she was never too
busy to do good things. When she
believed in something, she was
very passionate about following
through."
Some 1,000 mourners paid horn-
age to the respected community
leader during her funeral July 28
at Ira Kaufman Chapel in
Southfield. Included in the crowd
were federal, state and local offi-
cials and dignitaries, among them
Michigan's U.S. Sens. Carl Levin
8/ 2
2002
126
"You couldn't have a greater sup-
porter," Sen. Levin said. "She was
honest and loving and she had this
way of letting you
know what she
thought in a gentle,
yet direct way."
Added Rivers,
"Arlene always led
with her heart. If
she found a position
that was right, she
took it, even if it
was unpopular. She
stood up for me
when everyone
thought I was a lost
cause and she dedi-
cated herself whole-
heartedly to make
the world a safer
place."
With her disarm-
ing sense of humor, impeccable lis-
tening and persuasion skills, Mrs.
Victor recruited scores of volun-
teers to her many causes during
her life.
"People tell me they just couldn't
say 'no' to my mom," her son,
David, said.
She regularly hosted political
fund-raisers, parlor meetings and
women only" summer and winter
solstice gatherings in her
Bloomfield Hills home. An envi-
ronmentalist, she recycled before it
became popular. When she decid-
ed junk food was unhealthy for her
kids, Mrs. Victor threw out the
Ding Dongs, and they were never
seen again, her daughter, Julie,
recalled.
Mrs. Victor's life changed dra-
matically after she beat lung cancer
25 years ago — surviving with one
lung and a continuous cough.
At that time, Mrs. Victor was a
"
married mother of three and an
elementary school teacher. She
went back to school and earned a
Master of Social Work degree from
Wayne State University. Mrs.
Victor had earned her Bachelor of
Arts in education from the
University of Michigan and was an
accomplished classical pianist.
Social Activism
For seven years, Mrs. Victor
worked as a social worker for
Jewish Family Service. Next, she
followed in daughter Jackie's foot-
steps, and delved into political and
social activism.
Mrs. Victor founded the local
chapter for WAND (Women's
Action for a New Direction), a
women's group that was originally
founded to promote nuclear disar-
mament and today focuses on
empowering women to reduce the
military budget and redirect funds
toward human and social services.
Mrs. Victor served as the group's
national president, 1993-1996.
A voracious letter writer, Mrs.
Victor once wrote to Frank
Darabont, who directed the movie
The Green Mile, telling him how
much she appreciated his work.
In return, he sent her a hand-
written thank-you note.
Even in her sickness, she contin-
ued to write letters. When friends
sent notes, she wrote back.
"She was tiny and somewhat
frail," her brother, Joe Fineman,
said. "But she left an impression
that she was larger than life."
Speaking at the funeral service,
son David, daughter Jackie, broth-
er Joe, Sen. Stabenow and Rabbi
Joseph Krakoff of Congregation
Shaarey Zedek praised Mrs.
Victor's unwavering commitment
to her family, the community, pro-
tecting the environment, empow-
ering women and working toward
world peace.
Rabbi Krakoff described her as a
righteous person. "She not only
accepted life as good, but she tried
and did make it better," he said.
Women Count
During the past 25 years, Mrs.
Victor worked relentlessly for
women's issues and to reduce
excessive military spending. She
also became more religiously spiri-
tual. Three years ago, she celebrat-
ed her adult bat mitzvah.
She was also a driving force
behind a successful movement to
get women counted in the minyan
(prayer quorum of 10) at her syna-
gogue, Congregation Shaarey
Zedek.
"She was a self-lighting candle,"
her brother said.
Before she died, Victor told her
family that despite her illness,
which recurred last December, her
last months were the happiest
times of her life. She attributed
the feeling to her two grandchil-
dren, whom she doted upon, and
the fact that her three children
were happily settled down. What's
more, there's one more grandchild
on the way.
"Her grandchildren were her
oxygen," said her son, David.
Arlene Victor is survived by her
husband, Steven Victor; son and
daughter-in-law, David Victor and
Kelly Rogers Victor of Bloomfield
Hills; daughters and son-in-law,
Julie Victor and Clyde Partner of
Chicago; Jackie Victor and her life
partner, Ann Perrault of Detroit;
grandchildren, George Rogers
Victor and Rafaella Perrault
Victor; and brother and sister-in-
law, Joseph and Sharon Fineman
of California.
Contributions may be made to
WAND Education Fund, 691
Massachusetts Ave., Arlington, MA
02476 and the Detroit Opera
Theater, 1526 Broadway, Detroit,
MI 48226. Arrangements by Ira
Kaufman Chapel. El