Aleen Carol Kerwin Chabot, of Aspen Hill, Maryland, aged 91, passed away, surrounded by her family, of complications from a broken leg and congestive heart failure, after a lifetime of community service, social activities, eating out and traveling, and love and enjoyment of her family.

Aleen's Hebrew name, Chaya, means vitality and liveliness, which suited Aleen.  She was a very strong, very vibrant woman.  Chaya also is also a term of endearment and can mean soul, and Aleen endeared herself to nearly every person she met.  She was thoughtful, smart, kind, and incredibly caring.

In her older years, Aleen served as a role model, mentor, and substitute mom, to women younger than herself, who looked up to her – for her ability to listen, her courage, strength and wisdom, not to mention her motivation to leave her errors behind and move forward.

Aleen was born in Brooklyn, New York, on December 4, 1932 to the late Minnie (Garsson) Kerwin and Edward Kerwin (who originally was named Morris Cohen).  Aleen had an older sister, Joan, who died as a young child; and an older brother, Donald, who was a science teacher, but died of cancer when he was 32.  Aleen spent summers at the beach with her Aunt Lee, enjoying her Aunt's cabana at Far Rockaway Beach, and visiting Coney Island.

Aleen met her future husband, Herb Chabot, when she was a teenager, and had joined New York City's Junior Astronomy Club, where Herb was a member.  They married at a young age, while both were in college.  Aleen attended Hunter College, and graduated with a B.S. in Education and Special Education, from the City College of New York.  While Herb was in the army, at the very end of the Korean War, Aleen joined him in Huntsville, Alabama, and became the first licensed special education teacher in the state of Alabama.

Post-army, Herb and Aleen moved back to New York City, where Herb completed his law degree at Columbia, and Aleen taught kids in need of special education.

When Herb received a job offer to work as a law clerk for U.S. Tax Court Judge Russell Train, in Washington, D.C., Herb and Aleen moved to Montgomery County, Maryland, first settling in Silver Spring and later buying a new house in Aspen Hill.  Aleen was a stay-at-home Mom while her 4 children were young.  As her family grew older, Aleen returned to work, and for decades, taught special education classes for Montgomery County ARC.

Aleen also went back to school, receiving both a M.A. Ed. in Early Childhood Education, and a Paralegal Certification from the University of Maryland.  Aleen continued to teach fulltime, and also taught special education religious classes for a local synagogue.

Aleen had experimental heart surgery at NIH in the late 1960s, to repair a heart valve, which lasted decades.  She received a replacement mechanical valve some 25 years ago.  Her experiences with these surgeries taught Aleen to be a true fighter for her health, to make sure that her medical problems were correctly diagnosed, and to keep on trying to get better and to be stronger.  Even as Aleen lay in bed, near the end of her life, with little energy or ability to talk, she managed to do physical therapy exercises, and to find a way to show her therapist that she could win, while arm wrestling with her.  That was Aleen, she loved her family, and she was a fighter to the end.

Upon her retirement from full-time teaching, Aleen often worked as a substitute teacher, and also tutored individual students.  During the summers, she often would participate in the Aspen Hill Library's reading programs for kids, such as grand-readers, time travelers, etc.

Aleen was President of the Sisterhood of Temple Emanuel for a term, followed by a term as a Temple Emanuel Board of Trustees member.  Aleen also served as President of Jewish Women International – Medina Chapter, and was an active member for decades.  She was a Democratic Precinct Chair, and spent decades as an Elections Judge.

Aleen was a long-time Board member of the Aspen Hill Friends of the Library, as well as the Aspen Hill Garden Club.  She would gladly volunteer to help out both groups where she was needed, from hosting meetings at her house, to watering and weeding the library gardens, to organizing programs, sorting books, making telephone calls, staffing booths, and so much more.

Aleen and her neighbors met often as "the coupon club", to collect and exchange the latest store and/or manufacturer's coupons.  She loved to play card games such as Casino, Pounce, and Solitaire, but adored the Rummikub game, and won nearly every time she played.  Aleen also played word-search games such as Ruzzle, and was quite good at finding the complex words.

Aleen's true love was knitting.  She knitted all her life, making sweaters, vests, scarves and hats.  She made hand puppets and stuffed animals as well.  Aleen cheerfully would make a hat upon request, and was glad to use up some of her many colors and skeins of yarn.

Aleen was the co-founder of the local Knitting and Crocheting Club at the Aspen Hill Library, which met weekly until the Pandemic moved it to Zoom, where it continues today.

Aleen and Herb were married for 71 years, and they often were the model of a loving couple.  They set the standard for a long and mutually enriching marriage, although they had their differences and disagreements.  Sometimes they seemed so intertwined it was difficult to imagine one without the other.  Aleen had wanted to reach the same age as Herb did, before he passed.  She reached that number this past December.  When her body could not keep her here, she knew that she was loved and that her family wanted her to stay.

Aleen is survived by her children, eldest son Elliot (daughter-in-law Chris Swan), Donald (daughter-in-law Nicki Sideris), daughter Nancy Jo Chabot (son-in-law Parker Potter), grandchildren, twins Jules and Niko Chabot, and Sophie Potter.  Her youngest son, Lewis Chabot, predeceased her.

A memorial service will be held on Sunday, February 25, at 10 am, at the Judean Memorial Gardens, followed by the graveside service.  The family will sit Shiva on Zoom for three evenings (Sunday, February 25, Monday, February 26, and Tuesday, February 27), where prayers will be held and condolences and memories accepted.

Donations may be made to the Bethesda Jewish Congregation .

Contact rememberingaleen@gmail.com to attend the Zoom Shiva evenings, and to contact the Shiva food coordinator.