Arlene Marion Sharlat's Obituary
Arlene Marion Sharlat of Trinity, Florida passed away peacefully on October 1, 2025. Arlene was born on October 11, 1936 in Brooklyn, New York to Beatrice and Edwin Goldsmith. She grew up in Forest Hills, NY with her older brother, Nolan and her many aunts, uncles and cousins living close by.
A gifted student, she skipped a grade and graduated from high school at just 16. She attended Queens College where she received her Bachelors degree in Home Economics, a major that would ultimately influence her passion for cooking and spark her love of travel, fashion, home decorating, jewelry-making and sewing.
On July 6,1957 she married Stanley Sharlat, and together they shared nearly 52 years of marriage. They had three daughters, Athena, Lori and Melissa.
Arlene’s first job out of college, newly married and off to El Paso, Texas where Stanley served in the army, was teaching the first grade. This was one of her proudest achievements, seeing her students learn and grow in the year that she taught them. After that, they moved to Long Island, NY where they settled to raise their family,
After moving back to New York, she and a dear friend formed their own company, The Gourmet Kitchen, whipping up delicious hors d’oeuvres, main courses, and desserts.
In 1970, the family moved from Long Island to Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Arlene began managing the office of a small national company, a job she absolutely loved for 12 years. A few years later, she rekindled her creative spark and Collagewear by Sharlat was born. Her unique pieces of jewelry were made from watch parts, beads and reclaimed jewels she found on her numerous fleamarket hunts.
Arlene loved cooking, especially French cuisine, entertaining and traveling the world. Some of her most exciting trips were to China, South Africa and Australia. She was an avid volunteer, a guardian ad litem, baby hugger, phone call buddy, and donation getter, among others. She was a lifetime reader, participating in numerous book clubs. The library was like her second home. She was proudly the past president of the Trinity Oaks Women's Association and even had a stint as a restaurant reviewer for the Trinity newsletter.
She is survived by her daughters, Athena Burke and Melissa Sharlat, her grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, Stanley, their daughter, Lori Radel and her brother Nolan Goldsmith.
She has left behind cherished friends, dating back to grade school through her young adult life in New York, her many years in New Jersey and then her final phase of life in Florida.
With her daughters by her side in her last hours, Arlene wanted to share this message,
“I want to thank all of my friends for your love and support over the years, it has meant everything to me. I love you all. And I’ll look down and say bless you, bless you, bless you.”
The funeral service will be held at Trinity Memorial Gardens, 12609 Memorial Dr., Trinity, FL 34655 on Monday, October 6 at 10 AM with Rabbi Matthew Berger presiding.
A short burial service will follow at Florida National Cemetery,
6502 SW 102nd Ave. Bushnell, FL 33515.
A reception will be held afterwards at the Retreat at Trinity, 11405 Billfish Cir
Trinity, FL 34655 in the Monte Carlo Room from 3-5pm and all are welcome.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Temple Ahavat Shalom, https://www.ahavatshalom.org or Jewish Women International https://www.jwi.org
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