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Obituary for Roger E. Arnold
Roger E. Arnold, of Perkasie, passed away Wednesday, April 8, 2015, surrounded by his loving family. He was 81.
He was the beloved husband of Mary A. (Eckhart) Arnold. The couple had celebrated their 54th wedding anniversary in September 2014.
Born in Palmerton, he was the son of the late Oscar E. and Arlene (Person) Arnold. Roger was a 1951 graduate of S.S. Palmer High School, Palmerton.
A proud U.S. Air Force veteran of the Korean War, Mr. Arnold was a staff sergeant with the 336th Fighter Bomber Squadron. An airborne navigational equipment repairman, he had tours of duty in both Korea and Japan.
He was a 1961 graduate of East Stroudsburg State College (now University), where he earned a B.S. in Elementary Education. Roger was active in both the College Chorus and the Men’s Chorus.
Mr. Arnold had a distinguished 35-year career in education, spending the last 28 years in the Pennridge School District, where he taught fifth and sixth grades at Deibler Elementary School. He retired in 1996.
He was a member of St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church, Perkasie.
Mr. Arnold served for six years as East Rockhill Township Supervisor, where he was instrumental in the formation of the Pennridge Regional Police Department and the creation of the park system. He was a 15-year member of the East Rockhill Township Planning Commission. He was also a charter member of the East Rockhill Two Lions Club.
When his children were young, Roger was active in coaching youth baseball and basketball teams. He had also volunteered as a Cub Scoutmaster.
An avid birder, Roger also enjoyed astronomy and gardening. As an enthusiastic sports fan, he especially loved attending sporting events to watch his grandchildren.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by his children: Robin S. Metzger and her husband, Frank, of Ft. Pierce, FL; Gail L. Bigam and her husband, Gary W., of Perkasie; Roger E. Arnold II and his wife, Dr. Celine Paillot, of Madison, CT; three grandchildren: Kyle, Tyler, and Lou-Andrea; a sister, Kathryn P. Ibbotson, of Midlothian, VA; and several nephews and nieces.
He was preceded in death by a brother, William C. Arnold, two sisters, Audrey A. Chedrick and Jane M. Minnich, and a brother-in-law, Harry Ibbotson.
His funeral service will be held at 12 p.m., Monday, April 13, in the Betty Meier Steeley Funeral Home, 87 North Main Street, Sellersville, PA 18960, where a visitation will be held from 10 a.m. until time of service.
Interment with military honors will be in Dinkey Memorial Cemetery, Ashfield, PA.
If desired, donations may be made to the Memorial Fund of St. Andrew’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, 20 Dill Avenue, Perkasie, PA 18944.
He was the beloved husband of Mary A. (Eckhart) Arnold. The couple had celebrated their 54th wedding anniversary in September 2014.
Born in Palmerton, he was the son of the late Oscar E. and Arlene (Person) Arnold. Roger was a 1951 graduate of S.S. Palmer High School, Palmerton.
A proud U.S. Air Force veteran of the Korean War, Mr. Arnold was a staff sergeant with the 336th Fighter Bomber Squadron. An airborne navigational equipment repairman, he had tours of duty in both Korea and Japan.
He was a 1961 graduate of East Stroudsburg State College (now University), where he earned a B.S. in Elementary Education. Roger was active in both the College Chorus and the Men’s Chorus.
Mr. Arnold had a distinguished 35-year career in education, spending the last 28 years in the Pennridge School District, where he taught fifth and sixth grades at Deibler Elementary School. He retired in 1996.
He was a member of St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church, Perkasie.
Mr. Arnold served for six years as East Rockhill Township Supervisor, where he was instrumental in the formation of the Pennridge Regional Police Department and the creation of the park system. He was a 15-year member of the East Rockhill Township Planning Commission. He was also a charter member of the East Rockhill Two Lions Club.
When his children were young, Roger was active in coaching youth baseball and basketball teams. He had also volunteered as a Cub Scoutmaster.
An avid birder, Roger also enjoyed astronomy and gardening. As an enthusiastic sports fan, he especially loved attending sporting events to watch his grandchildren.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by his children: Robin S. Metzger and her husband, Frank, of Ft. Pierce, FL; Gail L. Bigam and her husband, Gary W., of Perkasie; Roger E. Arnold II and his wife, Dr. Celine Paillot, of Madison, CT; three grandchildren: Kyle, Tyler, and Lou-Andrea; a sister, Kathryn P. Ibbotson, of Midlothian, VA; and several nephews and nieces.
He was preceded in death by a brother, William C. Arnold, two sisters, Audrey A. Chedrick and Jane M. Minnich, and a brother-in-law, Harry Ibbotson.
His funeral service will be held at 12 p.m., Monday, April 13, in the Betty Meier Steeley Funeral Home, 87 North Main Street, Sellersville, PA 18960, where a visitation will be held from 10 a.m. until time of service.
Interment with military honors will be in Dinkey Memorial Cemetery, Ashfield, PA.
If desired, donations may be made to the Memorial Fund of St. Andrew’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, 20 Dill Avenue, Perkasie, PA 18944.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Roger E. Arnold, please visit our Heartfelt Sympathies Store.
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