Arlene C Doppelt

"Friends, family remember Arlene Doppelt's infectious optimism"

By Mike Isaacs, Pioneer Press, Chicago Tribune. Published March 10, 2015. [http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/skokie/news/ct-skr-arlene-dop...]

Those who knew long-time Skokie resident Arlene Doppelt were not surprised to learn that she was active and optimistic right up until her sudden death.

Doppelt had her share of struggles in life — including a serious condition that required the amputation of one of her legs — but she always approached the future with zeal and a positive attitude.

Whether it was family or friends or those she worked with as chair of the Skokie Commission on Family Services, they all said the same thing: Doppelt's spirit and enthusiasm were infectious, a consistent inspiration to those around her.

"That's always how she came across," said her sister-in-law, Judy Friedman. "I don't know how she felt inside, but she never showed any troubles she was having. She was always upbeat and cheerful and smiling and 'things will get done and things will be OK.'"

Doppelt suffered a stroke last month and died at age 77. She left behind her husband of 58 years, Paul Doppelt, with whom she shared the same Skokie house for decades. Doppelt grew up in Oakland, Calif. and met Paul at a seder sponsored by the USO.

"They clicked so nicely and quickly," Friedman said, adding it was a short courtship before they got married. "She invited me to stand up at the wedding without having met me, and I remember to this day the letter she sent to me saying she was looking forward to meeting me," Friedman said.

The couple moved to Skokie in the late 1950s where they raised three children, Loren, Michelle and David.

Doppelt became a nurse, eventually overseeing the cardiac rehab unit at what is now Skokie Hospital. She later worked at Ravenswood Hospital in that capacity as well.

But she suffered physical setbacks, twice developing a blood clot that needed treatment. Then, traveling back from Japan, she suffered a blood clot in her leg. By the time she was hospitalized in Chicago, it had become gangrene and the leg had to be amputated.

When Friedman later talked with her about it, Doppelt said there was nothing she could do — it was the hand she was dealt — and she was not going to let this stop her.

And she never did.

"It was difficult, but they managed," Friedman said. The leg wasn't her only physical challenge. Doppelt battled ulcerated colitis and early stage breast cancer. But she was never defined by these setbacks; she was always more about overcoming them, about making a difference in her community by reaching out to help others.

Since 2010, Doppelt chaired the Skokie Commission on Family Services when two village commissions merged — one on human services and the other on disabilities. "Arlene was a really warm and gracious leader," said village social worker Beth Lindley, the staff liaison to the commission. "She was a very staunch advocate for anybody in our community who had some kind of vulnerability."

She was especially successful at making living spaces throughout Skokie accessible for people with disabilities, Lindley said. Doppelt regularly communicated with business owners about improving their spaces for disabled people. She was often in touch with managers at Westfield Old Orchard.

"She often used a wheelchair," Lindley said. "She was ambulatory, but she could have this first-hand experience. If a door wasn't easy, she would find the person in charge and pass that message on to them."

During the merging of the two commissions, Doppelt was a leader in bringing together outside speakers, making sure everyone felt represented and always showing concern that Skokie residents were informed of the services that were available to them.

She never saw herself as a victim, Lindley said. Rather, she was determined to live life independently and fully and make a difference.

"You could call her a shepherd," Lindley said. "She was always aware of any commissioners who might have a struggle going on. She would check in on people, she would make sure they had transportation because there were other people on the commission who had functional disabilities, too."

For Rabbi Neil Brief, who worked with Doppelt on the Skokie Commission on Family Services, there was no better pick-me-up medicine than what she provided.

Brief's wife of many years died last October, and he had missed meetings over the last two months, having cut back on his activities.

Doppelt arranged for the January meeting to be held at the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center so members could experience the exhibition there on race. Brief has been an integral part of the museum since its inception.

"She picked me up and brought me there," Brief said. "Here was a woman who had had her leg amputated and she was driving me to the Illinois Holocaust Museum."

He credits Doppelt with renewing his interest in many facets of his life. He attended four other Holocaust Museum events after she reached out to him for that January meeting.

And even though the retired rabbi had been reluctant to oversee funeral services since his wife died, he made an exception. When he was asked to officiate Doppelt's funeral, he could not say no, he said. He didn't want to say no.

Brief admits he had thought about giving up his volunteer work on the commission several years ago.

"But Arlene was such a dynamo that I said because of her leadership, how could I not be on the commission?" Brief said. "My respect for her was such. She always looked at life in a positive vein. She would say, how can we get this done?"

When Doppelt wasn't getting village work done, she loved her football and Chicago Bears. Many of her friends and family members watched Super Bowls with her over the years.

And she was also a prodigious quilter, having hand-made different gifts for many family members and friends.

"She loved life to be hard and fast, like football is, but on the other hand, she recognized the weaker side of life and the limitations," Brief said. "That's a great, great combination. She reached out to everyone around her."