Arlene Radigan Delleur

Arlene R. Delleur, (nee Arlene Bessie Andrews on Feb 6,1945) passed away April 21st, 2025, leaving behind a legacy of service, compassion, and advocacy. Born in Syracuse, New York, she graduated from Le Moyne College in May 1976 with a Bachelor of Arts in Human Services and Spanish. She went on to earn her Master of Science in Vocational Rehabilitation from Syracuse University in August 1988, earning both degrees while working full time and also volunteering with various community organizations.

She graduated from Syracuse Central Technical High School in June, 1963. She was one of 14 winners of college scholarships in a class of 220. Since Arlene was underage at the time, the scholarship check was made out to her parents. Unfortunately, her mother did not see value in higher education for women and spent the scholarship money on buying herself a new car.

So, Arlene had to work her way through college a semester or two at a time taking 25 years to get her Master's degree at age 43. In the fall of 1963, She began College at Hanover College in Hanover, Indiana taking 2 semesters of Spanish, after which she married John W. Mock in 1964. That marriage, a youthful mistake, lasted about 1 year. In 1969 - 1970 she took 4 quarters of Spanish and humanities at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale before classes were suspended in May 1970 due to violence between anti-Vietnam War protesters and Illinois State police and National Guard, culminating the burning down of a couple of campus buildings. Students then received grades of "Satisfactory" or "Unsatisfactory" for the truncated quarter which were useless non-transferable credits. In 1972, she married her second husband, John D. Radigan. She took college courses mainly in the summer, and received her Bachelor or Arts, majoring in Spanish and Human Services in May 1976. In the late 70's she worked to support herself and financially supported John in his higher education.

Her full-time professional career began in 1976, when she worked as an English as a Second Language Instructor with the Spanish Action League, simultaneously serving as a legal assistant at Onondaga County Legal Aid. She then held positions in Funding Planning and Allocation for United Way of Central New York and the Easter Seals Society of Central New York, where she developed budget programs for 13 human service agencies. In 1976 the couple purchased a house at 114 Maurice St. in Syracuse.

After having put him through college, in 1983 she and John were separated when he moved in with another woman. They were divorced in 1986. Taking into account her support of his education, she was awarded the house and the bulk of jointly accumulated assets. From 1983 to 1984, she worked as a Program Coordinator for Catholic Charities in Syracuse, followed by her role as a Community Outreach Social Worker with the YMCA from 1984 to 1986. Between 1986 and 1988, she served both as a vocational evaluator for the Mohawk Valley Rehabilitation Center and as a Rehabilitation Counselor for the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, where she implemented bilingual outreach to disabled migrant farm workers.

Again, taking mainly summer and night courses while working full time, she received her Master's Degree in Vocational Rehabilitation from Syracuse University in 1988.

She was a case manager for the Cortland County Health Department, providing counseling, advocacy, emergency care, worksite training, and recreation for mentally ill patients. She then became a Rehabilitation Case Manager for MetLife Insurance Company in Utica, New York, from 1993 to 1996, managing rehabilitation plans for about 100 long-term disability clients and providing job coaching, training, and placement.

Between 1996 and August 1998, she worked as a Job Readiness and Job Retention Coordinator for the Inter-Religious Council Refugee Resettlement Program in Syracuse providing English language, workplace cultural training, job coaching and placement to recently arrived refugees.

Her final professional role was as a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor for the State of Florida Department of Education in Orlando from November 1999 until her retirement in November 2013. There, she served a caseload of approximately 165 clients at a time, delivering a full range of rehabilitation services including vocational evaluation, rehabilitation plan development, counseling, training, and job placement. She received numerous awards for productivity and excellent client relations.

She also contributed to volunteer efforts throughout her life. She participated in development of reports for the Sex Information and Education Council of the United States on topics such as sexuality and disability. She served informally as a sex counselor and therapist and studied subjects related to sex education and therapy for people with disabilities.

She was in a long-time activist in Disability Rights. She was a proud member of and organizer with the National Organization for Women of Central New York and was deeply committed to women’s rights, politics, and activism.

Jim and Arlene were married on February 19, 2000 in Orlando, with a repeat ceremony in Syracuse in May 20, 2000. After having moved to Florida in 1998, Arlene sold her house in Syracuse in 2003 having rented it out in that interim.

Her religious life was equally meaningful. She was a longtime member of Grace Episcopal Church in Syracuse (a very socially activist church) from high school until moving to Florida, initially to Tampa, in 1998 to be with her new love, James Delleur. After relocating to Orlando in 1999, Arlene and Jim visited dozen or so Churches looking for a new spiritual home. In this process the couple visited First Unitarian of Orlando, a church that Jim had been introduced to years earlier by a previous girlfriend. After 2 visits, she announced that she had found a new spiritual home and joined the First Unitarian Church of Orlando in 1999. She remained an active member there until her death, participating in the Alliance, Mystic Grove, and other church organizations.

In Orlando, she participated in various activist groups including the American Association of People with Disabilities, League of Women Voters, N.O.W. and others.

Her life was a testament to compassion, service, and dedication to others. She will be deeply missed.

A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, June 7, 2025 at 3:00 pm at First Unitarian Church of Orlando, 1901 East Robinson St, Orlando, FL 32803.

A second memorial service will be held on Friday, July 18, 2025 in Syracuse, NY - details will be posted here when finalized.

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