Arlene Lichtenstein

Arlene Lichtenstein passed away peacefully after a very short illness on August 23, 2024, at age 90, with her son by her side. She was born in Brooklyn, NY, the third of four children to Mamie and Samuel Michaels, both of whom had immigrated to New York in childhood to escape pogroms in Eastern Europe.

A lover of color and texture, Arlene became a prolific painter. She experienced her first artistic impulse in childhood at her father’s furniture shop. She’d spend hours in that shop, marveling at the stacks of cloth her father used to upholster sofas and chairs. The colors and patterns woven into those fabrics captivated her then and throughout her life.

Shortly after graduating from the public school system, she fell in love with Alan Nathan Lichtenstein, whom she met on a blind date. The couple married in 1955, moved to New Jersey and had two children. Alan worked in the furniture business for many years, with Arlene by his side as an interior decorator and business partner. While rearing their two children, the couple moved to Latham, NY, then to Framingham, MA, before Alan moved the family to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where Arlene’s painterly gifts flowered most fully.

Arlene’s art ranges from stylized reflections of her adopted New Mexico home, to abstracts influenced by Piet Mondrian, Jackson Pollock, and others. She was a proud member of the NM Watercolor Society, where she won multiple awards and accolades from her peers. She eventually segued to acrylics and mixed media. Her body of work is highly eclectic, ranging from large canvases depicting landscapes, figures, and objects, to miniatures and detailed abstracts. Arlene’s sense of color was always her superpower. You might call her a color savant.  She could find a scarf that would be the exact compliment of a blouse she had seen her daughter wear once five years before. She could explain the difference between sky blue, powder blue, Robin’s egg blue, and baby blue, including the different shades of emotions each hue evoked for her.

Arlene was blessed with a wry sense of humor and a quick wit that delighted those in her inner circle. She was fully engaged with our world, closely following politics and world events. Arlene never would hold back about how she felt about these events that flowed through her long life. She fiercely loved her children and grandchildren and was a loyal and compassionate friend.

In August 2023, Arlene moved to West Seattle, WA, to be close to her son. Arlene is predeceased by her beloved granddaughter, Zoë Mae Levinson, who passed away in June 2023; her husband, Alan, who passed away in 2001; brothers, Irving and Stanley Michaels; and boyfriend Albert Ichel. She is survived by her son Gary “Wolf” Lichtenstein, daughter Robin Karol Levinson of Hamilton, New Jersey, grandson Aaron Joon Levinson, sister Sandra Rosenblueth; a niece, four nephews, and some very dear friends. A memorial service was held on August 27. Arrangements are by Emmick Family Funeral Home of West Seattle. Donations in her memory may be made to Jewish Family Service of Seattle, 1601 16th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122.