Merle Ray Arlen

Merle Arlen passed away at age 83 on March 8th, 2020 after a courageous and dignified battle with lung cancer. Those who knew and loved him will miss his quick wit, sense of humor, wisdom, love of games and his companionship.

Merle was born and raised in Salt Lake City, though his family had roots in Cleveland and as a child he spent most summers in Ohio. It was this connection to Ohio that led Merle to a summer job at Camp Red Wing in Chagrin Falls where he would meet the love of his life, Norma Finkle. Following his graduation from the University of Utah in 1958, Merle and Norma were married in 1960 and shortly thereafter headed west to San Francisco to start their life together.

Soon after arriving in San Francisco, Merle took a job at Western Benefit Plan Consultants where he combined his extraordinary skills in mathematics, negotiations, and common sense to build a tremendous career, highlighted by him ultimately rising to become president of the firm. At WBPC Merle primarily represented labor unions and he was proud of the work he did to improve the lives of hundreds of thousands of union workers. He was particularly honored to have worked with Cesar Chavez, including spending time in the farm fields with Cesar addressing the farmworkers about the benefits he had negotiated on their behalf. The proud father of Andrea, Roger and Steven, Merle made a point to break away from his demanding work schedule to attend his children’s school and sporting events, including sometimes hiding behind trees to watch from afar if one of the kids felt too nervous having him there. His extended family was very important to him and he prioritized attending family events and celebrations wherever they may have been.

Merle was a huge fan of sports and was a proud Candlestick era 49er season ticketholder. He was a lifelong bridge player, enjoying playing with friends or with a partner, usually Norma, in duplicate tournaments. Merle had earned the Ruby Life Master ranking and continued to play bridge up until the final weeks of his life, enjoying the competition and camaraderie. He enjoyed playing in friendly poker games and no family visit was complete without a few games of Cribbage, a game he proudly taught to his kids and grandkids. Although he was not technically minded, he also had a quirky infatuation with technology. He was the first on the block with a microwave oven, the first to get an Apple Macintosh, was fiddling with his iPhone well before they became a global craze, and was one of the first people in Arizona to purchase a Tesla electric car. One of Merle’s special interests was tropical fish. For over forty years he maintained beautiful salt water fish tanks of over 300 gallons and some of his fish lived over 15 years, a testament to the care and attention that he bestowed upon them. His grandkids affectionately referred to him as “Fishy Grandpa”. As active as Merle was with his career, his family and his friends, there was rarely a Merle without a Norma. They were true life partners and Merle passed away just three months shy of what would have been their 60th wedding anniversary. They traveled the world together, raised three loving children together, embraced retirement in Arizona together, and frequently hosted parties for friends and family together. When Norma took ill in 2017, Merle was incredible in becoming her caretaker and did so as long as he was able.

Merle is survived by his wife Norma and his three children, Andrea, Roger (Sandy) and Steven (Kimberly). He had special relationships with his grandchildren Lexi, Mia, Eric and Talia and valued the time he got to spend with them. He was predeceased by his father Mike, mother Rose, and dear brother Chick. Please direct donations in his name to the American Lung Association or the charity of your choosing. Due to Covid-19 considerations, the family will announce a memorial service at a later date.