Arlene Abend A'57

Arlene Abend of Brooklyn, NY passed away on October 17th, 2025. Always drawn to the ocean, she frequented Brighton Beach in her early years. A graduate of the Arts at Cooper Union, finishing her bachelor’s at Syracuse University, her artistic endeavors continued well into her early nineties. She was embedded into the creative culture of Syracuse and Upstate, NY for over six decades. Abend was a trailblazing feminist and advocate for women in the arts, especially in the areas of sculpture and metal and steel welding. Abend is survived by her children, Les and Tema Abend, and two grandchildren.

A celebration of Abend’s life will be held at Congregation Beth Shalom on the evening of February 25, 2026.

  • Founded by inventor, industrialist and philanthropist Peter Cooper in 1859, The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art offers education in art, architecture and engineering, as well as courses in the humanities and social sciences.

  • “My feelings, my desires, my hopes, embrace humanity throughout the world,” Peter Cooper proclaimed in a speech in 1853. He looked forward to a time when, “knowledge shall cover the earth as waters cover the great deep.”

  • From its beginnings, Cooper Union was a unique institution, dedicated to founder Peter Cooper's proposition that education is the key not only to personal prosperity but to civic virtue and harmony.

  • Peter Cooper wanted his graduates to acquire the technical mastery and entrepreneurial skills, enrich their intellects and spark their creativity, and develop a sense of social justice that would translate into action.