Obituary for Arline

Arline Radillo Greene of Frankfort, Michigan passed away at the age of 75 on May 18, 2023, after a long battle with breast cancer. She was born on November 15, 1947, and raised in Santa Ana, California with her siblings, Joslyn, Tina, and Albert Jr., by her parents, Albert and Sarah Radillo, now deceased.

Arline first learned English in primary school, and she put herself through college by working a multitude of jobs. Upon graduation Arline taught grade school, then started a bilingual math program for the local educational TV station, then went on to be an on-air reporter and host of a TV talent show.

Arline married Howard Edward (Ted) Greene, Jr. on July 1, 1978, and upon the birth of her first child she switched careers to become a full-time mom. Here is a synopsis of Arline’s amazing life in her own words:

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In 1965 I vowed I would never marry or have children. Today, I’m thrilled to report that we have 5 children, 3 daughters-in-law, 1 son-in-law and 13 grandchildren, and I have been married for 45 years. Okay, so I only bore two of these children, but I consider them all mine.

After graduating from Cal State Long Beach, I returned to Santa Ana and taught 2nd grade at John Adams elementary. I was one of the few bilingual teachers in the district. After two years I convinced the school district to take a chance on a bilingual educational television program. Educational TV was in its infancy. They agreed and “The Number Shop” or “El Mercado de los Numeros” was born. I wrote and hosted this math program. We sold the program to KCET, the Los Angeles PBS station, where the program was distributed throughout Southern California. Then I accepted a job with another station working on two programs: an entertainment series about summer happenings, and a biweekly news program. Lots of fun! I rode an elephant from the train station to the convention center, covered the surfing competition, covered the national offshore powerboat competition, and was hypnotized on-air (when I looked like an idiot the entire time!).

I then married a divorced man with four children. Many were not happy with my decision, and when we returned from our honeymoon he was fired from his job. That meant I was now supporting his four children. I was advised (unsolicited) to annul the marriage, which I refused to do. He went on to start the biotech industry in San Diego which included pioneering the first PSA tests. Later he started a company to develop a new hormone for controlling diabetes. Life with Ted has not been boring.

We have put all our children through college. They all have children who love sailing, chicken and noodles, and popcorn. A must if you’re going to live in this family.

We’ve been to 7 continents including Antarctica. We’ve crossed the equator: I’ve been re-reading my list of felony charges by King Neptune when I successfully converted from a pollywog to a shellback.

I’ve been served monkey brain soup in China, something “unrecognizable” in Kenya, and Grasshoppers in Thailand. None of which I could eat.

In 2001 I started a scholarship fund at Santa Ana College in honor of my father. These scholarships were awarded to Hispanic kids majoring in Engineering, Biology, or Chemistry and who are transferring to a 4-year college. Help is given for tuition and books.

We still have our house in San Diego, but have retired to Northern Michigan with the deer, wild turkeys and abundance of birds that hover at the kitchen window when the bird feeders are empty. In the summer all our kids arrive. They wouldn’t want to miss the watermelon seed spitting contest!

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Arline is survived by her husband, Ted, by her two children, Cheryl Greene Salmen and Eric Jonathan Greene, and by her four bloodline grandchildren, Eva, AJ, Ivan, and Reagan. Her nine adopted grandchildren include Addie, Brady, Caitlyn, Carter, Cully, Jessica, Kenzie, Kiki, and Lucy.

A burial in the Crystal Lake Township North Cemetery and a celebration of Arline’s life will be held July 14 with fireworks on Crystal Lake. A memorial service at the Village Church in Rancho Santa Fe CA on August 19 will be followed by a celebration at Arline’s house.

So many friends have commented about what a bright light Arline was in their lives. To that point this slightly modified quote by Walt Whitman seems spot on:

Some people are so much sunlight to the square inch. I am still bathing in the cheer she radiated. Well — you might crowd this room with emperors, and they would only be in the way, but that lady — O she was a beautiful lady — a wonderful daybeam. I shall never see her face again — yet she left something here with me that I can never quite lose. Cheer! Cheer! Is there anything better in this world anywhere than cheer — just cheer? Any religion better? — any art? Just cheer!

Oh! How we miss you, Arline!