Arlene Helen Atwater

Arlene Helen Atwater, compassionate to everyone she met and an advocate for all children, passed away April 18, 2020, after 22 years of being cancer free only to have it return and metastasize to her liver.

Arlene was born on May 7, 1948, in Elizabeth, New Jersey, to Genevieve Woods and Harold Atwater. She loved water so much that she was swimming in the bath tub so her mother took her to the Y.M.C.A. to bath her. She was swimming at 6 months of age and pictures appeared in every big newspaper in the U.S. as well as in foreign papers. The heading was “ATWATER IN THE WATER”.

Arlene graduated from Handy High School in Bay City and went on to Baylor University in Waco, Texas, to earn her B.A. in Social Work. She began work in Saginaw County as a Protective Services Worker & later moved to Lansing where she eventually became a Special Needs Adoption & Foster Care Worker for Ingham, Clinton and Eaton Counties. She was considered an invaluable employee and a wealth of knowledge, which combined with her unique ability to relate to all she met, was instrumental in assessing children’s needs.

Arlene was preceded in death by her brother, Ronald, niece Madonna Jammer, and her parents. She is survived by her brother Harold “Buddy” Atwater and her sister Dorothy (Vernon) Owens, along with six nieces and nephews. Also surviving is her best friend of 40 years, Linda Johnson, and her Shih Tzu Dory Rose. Friends and coworkers alike will not ever find a more compassionate, caring Christian woman whose purpose in life was to find the value in everyone. Her love of food, cooking and trying new recipes rounded out her life to provide joy for others. There will never be another Arlene. She was a born-again Christian from an early age and we will meet up with her again for eternity with our heavenly Father. She prayed for a miracle even up to two days before she passed away. But she also accepted that her total healing would occur when she was taken home to heaven.

Arlene was a member of Rivers of Life Church and recently had been attending Colonial Village Baptist Church, both located in Lansing, Michigan. She especially wanted to thank Pastors Jessie & Bridgette Brown and Pastors Randy & Bryan Morgan along with Mary Morgan (and the members of CVBC) for their support and prayers while facing her end of life during these difficult times.

Also special thanks to Dr. Kara Hoisington of Sparrow Health Systems for her compassionate care and concern for Arlene’s health and welfare.

Per Arlene’s wishes, she has been cremated and will be interred, when appropriate, in Cedarville, Illinois. A memorial service and celebration of Arlene’s generous life will take place when it is safe to do so. For those desiring, contributions can be made to Feed the Children in Oklahoma, an organization she supported her entire life. Arlene wanted everyone to know she loved them even though she was unable to make contact. She wanted you to provide comments on the Estes-Leadley website in lieu of a formal gathering at this time. She promised she would read them all.