Obituary of Arlette Liszka Arlette Liszka, née Durand was born on September 7, 1927 in Paris, France. Arlette passed on December 1, 2018 at home and surrounded by family. She is predeceased by her brother and husband.
Her 91 years of life were happy and full. We will miss her greatly — her sweet smile, her happy heart and her gentle, enduring love. She grew up in Paris in Vincennes near the Chateau de Vincennes and the beautiful Vincennes forest.
She met her future husband, Joseph Liszka, a U.S. soldier, after the Allied Forces liberated Paris in 1944 and they fell in love. The language barrier was swiftly overcome. Arlette bravely left her beloved parents, Paul and Marguerite Durand to sail to the United States, settle in New York City, marry her GI Joe, and became a U.S. citizen.
She is survived by her three children Joseph (Evelyn), Margaret (Jeremy), and Janine (Jim). She is also loved and missed by her grandchildren, great grandchildren, nephews, nieces and friends. Arlette lived most of her life in New York City where she worked as an office manager and a bookkeeper.
Upon her well-earned retirement, she settled happily in Shannondell at Valley Forge, a retirement community in Audubon, Pennsylvania. She liked to say she lived in the greatest cities in the world, and retired in one of the nicest areas in the country. Arlette was an unbeatable scrabble player, and she also loved cards, Rummikub, crosswords and jigsaw puzzles.
She enjoyed many trips to Atlantic City with her dearest friend and sister-in-law, Margaret Liszka. On weekend mornings her home was often filled with opera or her piano playing. She was a Ham Radio operator.
She loved to knit and crochet. Though many of her hobbies were intellectual, her Shannondell friends know her best for flying through the hallways on her champagne colored scooter. Arlette had a “joie de vivre”.
She loved food, wine and all things French. She never drank a glass of wine without exclaiming it was the best she’d ever had. She loved cake and pastries too – especially with lots of fresh whipped cream on top.
She loved to travel and took numerous train trips across the United States and Canada. And she took many trips to visit her children and family in California, New Hampshire, and Europe. She visited her beloved home country, France as often as she could, with her daughters and her friends.
Arlette loved nature and animals. She especially enjoyed her view of the horses in the pasture from her Shannondell window. She loved many cats throughout her life but she especially adored her sweet Minette who passed some years ago.
She lived with her cat Sidney who survives her. Arlette is interred at Valley Forge Memorial Gardens. A Life Celebration will take place at a later date.
Details will be announced. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made directly to CatNAPS of Pottstown, Inc., P.O. Box 453, Gilbertsville PA 19525 (CatNAPSofPottstown. ORG), or to a local animal rescue organization.
Houck & Gofus Funeral Home, Inc., 955 N. Charlotte St., Pottstown, PA 19464 will be handling the arrangements. Online condolences may be made to the family at www.
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