Arlene Renee Tellis (Ricciardi) age 73, of Orange Park, Fl (formerly of Denville, NJ and Sudbury, MA) passed away on June 10th, 2020 after a valiant 10 month battle with pancreatic cancer. She was a beloved wife, mother, sister, friend, and her most coveted title “Grandmother” extraordinaire. Born to parents Dr. Ralph E. Ricciardi and Sarah Ricciardi on November 25th, 1946 in the Bronx, NY, Arlene graduated from St. Catherine’s high school and went on to study Fashion Design at The Pratt Institute.

Arlene met her husband of 50 years, Robert E. Tellis in the mid ’60s and they married September 30th,1969. Together they traveled the globe and raised 3 daughters, Kimberley Cooper (Tom) of Franklin, MA, Kiersten Selby (Brad) of Naperville, IL, and (predeceased) daughter, Keryn Tellis of Sudbury, MA.

Arlene was a graceful, sophisticated and charming woman of many talents, she was an artisan of many cuisines, could host a dinner party for 20 at a moment's notice, redesign your kitchen on the back of a napkin, or effortlessly reupholster your chairs while you ran an errand. An invitation to her house for dinner was an event not to be missed, as her warmth and inviting spirit led the way for an evening full of good food, love, and laughter. 

The foundation of Arlene’s life was her family and friends. She had a special gift for making others feel at home in her presence, always taking the time to help guide and listen, never leaving them short on advice. To her, even after all of her travels, nothing was better than sharing a meal she had made with those she loved, telling tales of a life well-lived and memories of past generations with great affection. She was never shy about expressing her thoughts and opinions and could seamlessly shift between topics such as investments, current affairs, relationship advice, career counseling, or the proper way to make an Italian “braciola”.

Arlene was not only the family storyteller but an outspoken thinker and author of “I’ll Be the Brightest Star”, where she documented her spiritual journey after her daughter, Keryn’s passing in 2003. Through her words, she helped countless others grieve the loss of their children. In her previous years, Arlene worked as a realtor, appeared regularly on a local cooking show, sat on the board of various civic organizations, and wrote a column called “Heaven is Eating” on food and travel for her local newspaper.

Later in life, she enjoyed spending time with her four grandsons, Colby, Trent, Wes, and Keaton. She often quoted her Grandmother saying, “The key to staying young is to surround yourself with young people”. Arlene demonstrated this by riding roller coasters and water slides with them right up until her diagnosis. She was the matriarch and icon of our family and will be deeply missed by many.

A small celebration of life will be held in the future. In lieu of flowers please make a donation to W3S for Pancreatic Cancer, a charity started by her 12-year-old grandson, Wes Selby, to help fund pancreatic cancer research. Through Giving Grid:   https://www.givinggrid.com/olcaih/ or via Facebook at: https://tinyurl.com/y7a5g79q