Arlene Dale (Sternberg) Trollope

Registered nurse, Air Force Veteran, Animal Control Officer

SHIRLEY - Arlene Dale (Sternberg) Trollope, 78 of Shirley, MA passed in peace with her husband by her side on July 30, 2025, in Worcester, MA at Rose Monahan Hospice.

Born June 21, 1947, in Philadelphia, PA, she was the daughter of Herman and Frances (Lipkowitz) Sternberg. She graduated from Neshaminy High School in Langhorne, PA in 1965, graduated with a BS in Animal Husbandry from the Pennsylvania State University in 1969, and Albert Einstein Medical Center School of Nursing in 1975. She served in the US Air Force Medical Corps. from 1979 to 1982.

Following her 1975 graduation from Albert Einstein Medical Center School of Nursing, as a registered nurse, she worked at Albert Einstein Medical Center as a medical surgical nurse until 1979. In 1979 she was commissioned as a First Lieutenant in the Air Force Medical corps. She served her 3-year commission, being promoted to rank of Captain, at Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota, where she worked as maternity nurse.

She married her husband, retired U.S. Army Sargent First Class (SFC) Gary L. Trollope on April 4, 1981, and moved to Shirley in May 1982.

She worked as a maternity nurse at Burbank hospital from 1982 until 1985.

She then chose to be a stay-at-home mother for her two daughters and held various jobs which she could do from home. From 1989 to 1996 she was a freelance writer for Nashoba Publications, covering news and public interest stories within the town of Shirley. She also wrote a weekly column called Animal Tips and Tales from 1997- 1999. She served as the Shirley Animal Control Officer from 1995 to 2002, also as Shirley Animal Inspector from 1997 until 2002 and as Police Matron from 1998 to 2002.

In September of 2002 she began working at the Animal Shelter, Inc. located in Sterling, MA. until April 2004.

She returned to nursing in July of 2004, working at River Terrence Health Care, in Lancaster, MA, until June of 2005. October of 2005, she began working as an RN in the infirmary of the Sousa Baranowski Massachusetts State Maximum Security prison in Shirley MA and retired in July 2012.

After retirement she spent her days gardening and spending time with her family and dogs. She volunteered her time playing Mrs. Clause beside her husband’s role of Santa Clause at the Caleb Bulter Mosaic lodge every December.

Involved with animals all her life she was an avid horse woman, who began riding at the age of 7 and showed, raised, trained and bred horses from 1970 to 1982. She began showing dogs in 1970 and started Barchester kennels in 1997, showing and breeding whippets.

In addition to her Husband of 44 years, retired SFC Gary L. Trollope of Shirley, MA she leaves two daughters Melinda Trollope and her husband Alexander Kretz, their sons Anton and Mikhail of Shirley, MA and Samantha Trollope and her husband Thomas Yount Jr. of Reedsburg, WI. She is survived by a niece and nephew and four grand nieces. She is also survived by sister-in-law Marlene Brooks of Yakima, WA, brother-in-law Donald Trollope and his wife of Sommerville, SC, a niece and nephew and two grand nephews.

Arlene was a beautiful, funny, selfless, generous, brave, caring, kind, and amazing woman that lived her life to the fullest. Her greatest joy was being a mother and grandmother “Bubbe”. She will be greatly missed by family and friends.

A special thank you to the kind and wonderful staff at Rose Monahan Hospice.

At her request after cremation there will be no funeral services. Family will hold celebration of life service at later date. In lieu of flowers please make donations to St. Jude Children’s Hospital.

Arrangements are under the care of Kelly Cremation & Funeral Care, 154 Lincoln Street, Worcester.