Service Details

The funeral will be held at:

Farenga Funeral Home
38-08 Ditmars Blvd.
Astoria, New York
https://www.farengafuneralhome.com/

Visiting Hours - Thursday, 12/18, 2pm-5pm and 7pm-9pm
Service - Friday, 12/19, 11am
Cemetery service following immediately at 12pm.
Lunch at Porto Bello following immediately.

Porto Bello
https://portobellopizzeria.com/
43-18 Ditmars Blvd.
Astoria, NY

Flyers with restaurant name/location/map will be available at the funeral home.

Funeral Company

Farenga Funeral Home

The Story

FROM APARTMENT TO ACROSS THE WORLD

From Mt. Vernon to Levittown to Rockaway Beach to Astoria to Guttenberg, from the American Southwest to the Grand Canyon to Mount Rushmore to Alaska to Miami, from Russia to Costa Rica to Italy to Germany to Sweden to China, from Sesame Place to Disney World, from local apartments and houses to all over the world, Arna Kranis Plumb lived her life to the fullest.

Arna was born on October 3, 1946, to Arthur and Julia Kranis. She was the oldest of what would become four children, herself, her brother Bill, her brother Bart, and her sister Margaret. Her brother Bill has said many times that Arna was always there for him, from the day he was born.

Arna married Arthur (Artie) Plumb in another October in another time, and also had four children, Lauryn, Jennifer, Melissa, and Christopher. She spent time at home raising them - doing all she could in order for them to become who they are today - and then fulfilled her life dream of becoming a nurse. She returned to school and to work when her children were young, serving as a remarkable educational and career role model. She may have had to study in cars in parking lots to get through school, but get through it she did, and with a flourish.

Arna was a pediatric ICU nurse at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital for more than 20 years. She cared not only for her four children at home, but also for numerous very sick children at the hospital. And years later, she’d be the first person many of her children called when their children (her grandchildren) were sick, to ask for advice. Arna was a transport nurse as well, serving those who needed help the most – meeting helicopters carrying the sickest or most hurt children and carrying them to the safety of one of the best hospitals in the world, where she then cared for them to try to make them better.

As Arna’s nursing career began to come to a close, she had more time to travel the world with her husband and to focus on her six grandchildren – Anthony, Zachary, Becca, Matthew, Bridget, and Allison. She touched each of her grandchildren in a special way and has left a legacy of love, determination, and adventurousness to them.

Arna passed away on the afternoon of Sunday, December 14, 2014, soon after the last sunset of her life. She is survived with peace and joy by her loving husband Arthur; her daughter Lauryn, her partner Dino, and her son Anthony; her daughter Jennifer, with her husband John and sons Zachary and Matthew; her daughter Melissa, with her husband David and daughters Rebecca, Bridget, and Allison; her loving son Christopher Arthur; her brother Bill Kranis, with his wife Carmen Kranis, their two sons and daughters-in-law and five beautiful granddaughters; and her brother Bart. Each of them, along with her lifelong friends Patty, Helen, Gloria and Mark surrounded her with love and touch in the last weeks, days, hours, and moments of her life. None of us will ever forget her.

“From Apartment to Across the World to the Greater Beyond,” go in peace, love, and joy. And don’t forget to hug Grandpa, Grandma, Margaret, Peppy and Iniki for us.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to New York Organ Donor Network. As a nurse and especially as a transport nurse, this was a cause always close to her heart. For more information, please see www.donatelifeny.org. Other causes close to Arna and Artie's heart were the Animal Humane Society or St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Please consider donating to either of those or the above.

https://www.animalhumanesociety.org
https://www.stjude.org

Also, please consider becoming an organ donor if you are not already - in honor of Arna.