Arlene Patricia Callahan Dovel, 86 of Southport, NC passed away peacefully on August 2, 2025. She was born in Newport, RI on August 19, 1941 to Richard and Virginia (Thornton) Callahan and grew up there with her sister, Betty.
She graduated from Rogers High School in 1959 and went on to study at Katherine Gibbs Secretarial School, graduating in 1960. After graduating, she was employed by the Raytheon Corporation as an executive secretary and then by McKinsey and Company, a global management consulting firm, in Washington, DC.
In 1985, she met Will Dovel, and they married 3 months later, setting sail (literally) on a lifetime of adventures. They lived on a sailboat for 8 years, sailing the Chesapeake Bay and even voyaging to Newport, before settling in Bayside Harbor, MD. During all that time, she always carried her love for Newport and her “Newport Girls” (The Newport Girls, a memoir by Elaine Colton).
If you ever met Arlene, also known as Leenie, you remembered her and chances are, she remembered you too, probably with a birthday card. Her holiday spirit was unmatched. She made Christmas feel magical, every birthday a special celebration and every meal a memory.
Arlene loved crafts, Canasta, sewing, painting, and dressing up for any occasion. She was known for her bright clothes, holiday themed outfits, big jewelry, and love of the beach. She was active in her Southport community, her “small little town in paradise.” Her Southport neighbors knew her as a beach loving, Bunco playing ray of sunshine. She was also an extra on the Bunco Babes float in the movie, Safe Haven.
Arlene lived with heart, humor, and a lot of creativity. She brought joy wherever she went and left memories that will always make us smile.
She is survived by her husband of nearly 40 years, Will Dovel, her daughters, Jennifer Cummins (Kirk) of Mineral, VA, and Amy McCarthy of Ashburn, VA and her sister, Elizabeth Whittleton (Tom) of Portsmouth, RI. She was stepmom to Mitze Vokes of Corsicana, TX and Tammy Dovel of Bellville, TX. She was Nana to seven grandchildren and became a Great Nana in 2024. She also adored her fur babies, Meme and Miki.
A celebration of her life will be held at a later date.
Donations in her memory may be made to the Potter League for Animals, 87 Oliphant Ln, Middletown, RI 02842, www.potterleague.org.
