Arlene Evonne Castor

Arlene Evonne (Freed) Castor, age 89, passed away on October 27, 2025, at Bluebird Retirement Community, London, Ohio. Born in North Baltimore, Ohio, she was the daughter of Elmer and Dorothy Freed. She was married to the love of her life, Richard (Dick) Castor for nearly 40 years. Arlene graduated from Mount Carmel School of Nursing in Columbus, Ohio, devoting her life to caring for others. As a registered nurse, she worked in many areas of healthcare, including child development research. She was especially proud to have been part of the team that evaluated the world’s first gorilla born in captivity. Arlene later earned her bachelor’s degree from Capital University and went on to serve as a Director of Nursing and Nursing Home Administrator for Laurel Healthcare. She was a devoted and faithful member of Zion Lutheran Church and a long-time West Jefferson resident. 

Arlene will be remembered for her adventurous spirit, determination, and zest for life. Her grandchildren fondly recall seeing her rollerblading down the street, while her daughters have vivid memories of joining her -somewhat hesitantly- on a thrilling bobsled ride down the Olympic course in Salt Lake City for her 70th birthday. She loved to explore, and traveled extensively in Europe, as well as Australia and Africa. In addition to her nursing and travels, Arlene had a deep passion for genealogy. She traveled to France and Germany several times to research and document her family history, publishing several books to preserve those stories for future generations.

Arlene is survived by her daughters Cheryl Helms (James) of Charlotte, NC, and Deborah McDonough of Dublin, OH; granddaughter Dr. Sarah Hamm (Megan) of Vancouver, BC, Canada; grandsons Jackson Helms of Charlotte, NC, Sean McDonough of Columbus, OH, and Matthew McDonough of Dublin, OH; niece Cynthia Rulason, and nephew Steve Castor. She was preceded in death by her parents, Elmer and Dorothy Freed; brother, Relden Freed; and beloved husband, Richard Castor. 

The funeral service will be held on November 4, 2025, at 11:00am, at Rader-McDonald-Tidd Funeral Home, 1355 W. Main Street, West Jefferson, Ohio, 43162, followed immediately by a graveside service at Hampton Cemetery. 

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital at https://www.stjude.org or Lutheran Social Services at https://lssnetworkofhope.org/donate/.