Arline M. Smith, died on May 24, 2023 at the age of 88. She was born in Nashua on July 16, 1934, the only child of Bernard A. Mason and Marion V. Mason. She was predeceased by her first husband, William D. Shinn, III, and her second husband, Attorney Harrison E. Smith.
Arline graduated from Alvirne High School in 1952 and attended the University of New Hampshire, Durham. She married William on November 6, 1954 and together they had four children, Susan, Lisa, Jeffrey and Lesley. They lived in Texas for a time and after William’s death, Arline and her children moved home to Nashua.
Arline married Harrison on June 20, 1968 and together they had their daughter, Jennifer. Harrison had five children by his previous marriage. The family lived for many years on Fulton Street in Hudson.
She was a full-time mother for her entire life although she found time to volunteer in the Hudson school system, Hudson Community Church, and Bridges (formerly known as Rape and Assault Committee for the Nashua area).
She loved her giant, noisy family, all babies, reading, doing crosswords, gardening, sewing, trips to England (she was a lifelong anglophile) and trips to France. She loved entertaining friends and relatives and did a house swap with a family in England that led to lifelong friendships.
Arline is survived by her sister-in-law, Martha Smith; her brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Dennis and Sherry Shinn; and her children, Susan Shinn Raiola and her husband Edward, Lisa Saperstein and her husband Jeffrey, Jeffrey Shinn and his wife Dr. Jerrilyn Sullivan, Lesley Mattson and her husband Kevin, Jennifer Dionne and her husband Duane, Eugene Smith, Larry Smith and his wife Priscilla, Peter Smith and his wife Gaila, Attorney Brenda Smith-Weiss and her husband Donald, Patricia Druckman and her husband Michael. She is also survived by her grandchildren, Nathan Smith, Aidan Smith, Jeremy Smith, Sarah Metzler, Kyla Druckman, Daniel Weiss, Erin Libby, Jacob and Jennie Saperstein, William and Matthew Shinn, Hannah and Samuel Mattson, and Demi and Lauren Dionne; ten great-grandchildren; as well as nieces, nephews and friends.
Arline’s family would like to thank the staff of the Hunt Community for their kindness in caring for Arline over the past four years. A memorial service to celebrate Arline’s life will be held at The First Church, Nashua, One Concord Street, on Saturday, June 17th at 10:00 A.M. The family respectfully asks that attendees wear bright colored clothing in celebration of Arline’s wonderful life. Interment will be at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Jude Children’s Hospital. To leave an online message of condolence, please visit www.farwellfuneralservice.com The Farwell Funeral Service, 18 Lock Street, Nashua is assisting the family with arrangements.
