Arlene Virginia Rivard, 72, of Lebanon passed away on the morning of Saturday, November 2, 2024, at Backus Hospital in Norwich after a long struggle with ataxia. She was born on July 8, 1952, in Norwich, to the late William and Emily (Sudol) Affek. Arlene attended the University of Connecticut, where she obtained her bachelor’s degree in anthropology in 1974. While attending UConn, Arlene met her future husband, Robert Rivard, who graduated a year earlier than her and joined the Peace Corps. They stayed in contact throughout her final year of college and, shortly after graduating, she visited Robert while he was a volunteer in Honduras. It was there that he proposed to her on a beach one warm day. The couple married in 1976 and spent a two-month honeymoon camping across America.

After their honeymoon, Arlene and Robert initially settled in Vernon before moving to Colchester, ultimately settling down in Lebanon, where they raised their family. She will be remembered as both a warm and loving mother and a woman of many passions. In addition to her love of camping and hiking, she was an avid gardener. Arlene took a great interest in genealogy and history, tracing her roots back to Poland in the mid-1800s and participating in Revolutionary War reenactments with her family. She loved a variety of music, from Irish folk music to country, and enjoyed Irish set dancing and attending concerts. Some of her favorite things to do were curl up with a book, cuddle with her cats, and work on art projects, including watercolor and cross stitch.

Arlene is survived by her husband Robert W. Rivard; son Frederick W. Rivard, daughter Becky Fargen and husband Tim; her brother James Affek; and numerous other extended family and friends. Care of private arrangements have been entrusted to the Aurora-McCarthy Funeral Home of Colchester. In lieu of flowers the family asks that memorial donations be made to St. Mary’s Ukrainian Catholic Church in Colchester or to the Connecticut Humane Society in honor of Arlene’s memory and her love of cats.

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