Gerlinde (Salzmann) Arbour

Schenectady –Gerlinde Arbour, 86, passed peacefully on December 30, 2022. Gerlinde was born in Ludwigswinkel, Germany, the daughter of the late Ferdinand and Johanna Salzmann. Her life’s journey is remarkable. At a young age, she survived the war and, as a teenager, worked in a shoe factory in Ludwigswinkel, generating a lifelong commitment to her fancy shoes. At 22, Gerlinde married an American soldier, Ron, she met in Ludwigswinkel. She emigrated from Germany to the United States in 1960 and became a U.S. citizen in 1963. She worked at the Big-N in Rotterdam, NY, and later became a machine operator at Campbell Plastics for nearly 20 years. Gerlinde loved being in nature, often gardening at her home on Barton Avenue and her camp in Lake Luzerne, NY. She loved filling her home with roses settled into the sparkle of baby’s breath, symbolizing her friendships and family love. She loved drinking coffee and playing rummy with her family. Gerlinde adored her family and friends showering everyone with Hallmark greeting cards, German chocolate, and a kind word and wink when slipping a greenback to those who needed it, not more than she. She was a member of the Bellevue Reformed Church and a super fan of Grey’s Anatomy with adoration for Patrick Dempsey. In addition to her parents, Gerlinde was predeceased by her first-born child, Dunya, in 1959; her beloved husband, Ronald Arbour Sr., in 1991; her parents-in-law Leopold and Ruth Arbour; and her siblings: sister and brother-in-law Gertrude and Heinz Schaeffer, and brother Waldemar Salzmann. She is survived by her children: son Ronald Arbour Jr. (Shelly), daughter Katherine Arbour (Jacques); sister Angelika Ernst (Harold); grandchildren: Melissa Arbour (Kyle), Rachel Coppick-Paish (Eric), Nicholas Arbour, Alexei Paish (Teigan), and Ronald Arbour III; and great-grandchildren Percy Paish and Evelyn Coppick; and many well-loved nieces and nephews. The family would like to extend heartfelt gratitude to everyone who shared life’s moments with Gerlinde. Donations in Gerlinde’s memory may be made to Bellevue Reformed Church, 200 Broadway, Schenectady, NY 12306, or the American Cancer Society. Calling hours will be held on Thursday January 5, 2023 from 4-6 pm at the DeMarco-Stone Funeral Home, 1605 Helderberg Ave., Rotterdam. Funeral services will begin at the funeral home at 6 pm.