Arlene M. (Short) Kastler, 90, died on Sunday, Oct. 17, 2021, while in the presence of family at Beaumont in Northborough.
Arlene was born on June 12, 1931, in Newark, N.J., a daughter of Raymond and Mignon (Koch) Short, and graduated from East Orange High School in 1949. While in high school, she summered in Ocean Grove, N.J., where she met her husband at the age of 16. Arlene attended Purdue University and was the president of her sorority, Sigma Kappa, graduating in 1953 with a degree in home economics. She married John Kastler in 1953, and they settled in Sudbury, where Arlene taught home economics at Curtis Middle School for 20 years. She particularly enjoyed introducing boys to the arts of cooking and sewing.
In 1994, Arlene and John moved to Edgartown, after having summered on the Vineyard since 1970. While there, she was active in the Edgartown Yacht Club and the Chappaquiddick Beach Club. Arlene was an accomplished watercolor painter, and especially enjoyed spending her time with family.
She leaves three daughters, Wendie McClain and her husband David of Denver, Colo., Pamela Caswell and her husband Fred of Freeport, Maine, and Kim Kastler and her husband John Liller, of Grafton; eight grandchildren, Emily, Jenna, K.C., Brad and his wife Michelle, Andy and his wife Kayla, Kristy, Anna and her husband Colin, and Colin and his fiancée Natasha; and four great-grandchildren, Mack, Micah, Elizabeth, and Bella. Arlene was predeceased by her husband of 47 years, John William Kastler, in 2000, and by her brother, Raymond J. Short Jr.
Burial on Martha’s Vineyard will be at the family’s convenience. In lieu of flowers, donations to honor Arlene’s memory may be made to Salmon Hospice, 37 Birch St., Milford, MA 01757.
Hays Funeral Home, 56 Main St., Northborough, was honored to assist the Kastler family with arrangements. To leave a condolence, or to share a memory, visit haysfuneralhome.com.
