January 19, 1927 - April 11, 2026
Wolcott - Arlene Youngman, 99, passed away peacefully on Saturday, April 11, 2026, with her daughter Linda by her side.
Friends and family are invited to call on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, from 4–6 PM, at the Norton Funeral Home, 5925 New Hartford ST, Wolcott. A funeral service, officiated by the Rev. Walter Stuber, will be held on Wednesday, April 22, at 1:00 PM at the church. Burial will be at 3PM, Wednesday in Rose Cemetery, Route 414, Rose.
Arlene was born on January 19, 1927 in North Rose the daughter of the late Perry C. and Ethel (VanSicklin) Stubley.
Arlene loved the color pink, her long fingernails, ice cream, her career as a teacher, and—most of all—her family and friends. She was born at home in North Rose, NY, on January 9, 1927. Her parents, Perry and Ethel Stubley, invited the doctor who delivered her to choose her first name. He chose Arlene, the name of the girl he said he should have married. Her middle name, Edith, honored Perry’s sister, who held a special place in Arlene’s heart and became a second mother to her namesake. Arlene grew up with her older sister Elizabeth (Aunt Betty, later known as Aunt Bea) and her younger brother Rodney, the family jokester who kept everyone laughing at holiday gatherings.
Arlene attended North Rose Central School and was in high school during WWII, remembering the blackout drills of that era. She graduated with the Class of 1945. After high school, she moved to Rochester and earned a business certificate from the Rochester Business Institute. Her first job was in the X-ray department at Rochester General Hospital.
In her thirties—already a wife and mother of two—Arlene returned to school at Keuka College on Seneca Lake. She earned her bachelor’s degree in business education in 1960 while working part-time in the college bookstore. Several years later, she completed her master’s degree in counseling at SUNY Oswego.
One evening, Arlene and her friend Betty attended a dance at the Malta Temple in Rochester. There she met her future husband, Elwin Youngman of Wolcott. He proposed in Highland Park, and they were married on August 22, 1948, in the North Rose Methodist Church. They welcomed two daughters: Joann Edith in 1950 and Linda Diane in 1952.
By 1955, the Youngman family was living in Lakemont, NY, raising chickens and selling eggs. Elwin worked as a clerk for the Dundee GLF (now Agway), while Arlene balanced homemaking, motherhood, and college coursework. In 1960, the family moved to Wolcott. Elwin later joined Rochester Gas and Electric in sales and marketing and continued part-time farming of pigs, cattle, and feed crops.
Arlene was offered a teaching position at Sodus Central High School, where she taught typing, shorthand, and business law. She met her department chair and lifelong friend, Evelyn Fletcher. After Evelyn’s retirement, Arlene became chair of the business department. She also formed close friendships with Celey Malchoff, Alta Cole, Thelma Scott, Ruth Cornish, Ruth Richards, and many other Sodus faculty members. Arlene taught practical skills that prepared generations of Sodus students for the workplace—often teaching multiple members of the same families. After her retirement in 1982, former students loved running into her and sharing updates about their lives. A strong believer in women’s independence, Arlene raised her daughters to support themselves. Joann graduated from SUNY Oswego in 1971, and Linda from Cornell University in 1974.
Arlene enjoyed sewing—especially quilting—a hobby she shared with Aunt Edith. She was a member of the local quilt guild. She and Elwin spent winters in Lake Worth, FL, just down O Street from Elwin’s parents, Arthur and Francis Youngman, as well as his brother Douglas and sister-in-law Joan. Later, Gordon and Barbara Youngman joined them there. The couple also cherished their cottage on Tosch Road in Huron, a short ride by car or rowboat to Skipper’s Landing and Connelly’s Cove. It became a favorite gathering place for Stubley family picnics. Arlene and Elwin also enjoyed flying together in his Cessna to air shows and pancake breakfasts around upstate New York.
Arlene was a master of the Betty Crocker lemon meringue pie recipe. She was a founding member of the Tribute Committee, supporting fellow Sodus teacher Don Rhine in establishing the Wayne County Teachers Association (WCTA), now Reliant Credit Union. She served as a docent at the Sodus Point Lighthouse during the summer season and organized senior trips for Coach USA to destinations such as Martha’s Vineyard and Hershey, PA. Arlene was active in the Wolcott Lioness Club, supporting blood drives, pie sales, church rummage fundraisers, and many other community efforts. A devoted member of the Wolcott Presbyterian Church, she sang in the choir until 2018, when she moved to assisted living at The Terrace in Newark, NY.
Arlene is survived by her daughters, Linda Youngman and Joan (Allen) Moluf; grandchildren, Megan Littleton and Derek Moluf; nieces, nephews, and cousins; and her brother Douglas and sister-in-law Joan.
In addition to her parents, Arlene was predeceased by her husband, Elwin, in 2000; her brother, Rodney; and her sister, Betty O’Neil.
