Douglas E. Arnold

Clinton, SC—Funeral Services for Mr. Douglas Ellison Arnold, 93, of the Presbyterian Home, Clinton, South Carolina, who entered into rest Sunday, July 12, 2009, will be conducted Thursday morning at 10 o’clock from the Fairview Presbyterian Church. Dr. G. Daniel McCall officiating. Private family interment in Pineview Memorial Park. Born on October 31, 1915, Mr. Arnold spent his childhood in Easton, PA. He was the son of Thomas Ellison Arnold and Lillie Mae Getz Arnold. He had four brothers, Elwood, Lorainne, and Karl. Born into a family where music was important, Mr. Arnold developed into a fine vocalist; music was a life-long love. His early schooling and work were in Easton. He entered the Army in March, 1941. While participating in military maneuvers in Chester, SC, he sang at Purity Presbyterian Church. Invited home for lunch by a local family, he was smitten by the family’s young daughter, Paula. In spite of his lineage as a “Pennsylvania Yankee,” love conquered and they would marry in 1944. They would have 5 children: Doug, Ed, Melanie, John and Bill. In WWII, he served initially as an engineer, constructing air bases on Ascension Island. He participated in the D-Day landing at Omaha Beach. He would rise to the rank of captain in the Army and was a member of the 1139 Engineer Combat Group under General George Patton. He fought in the Battle of the Bulge and surveyed Buchenwald prison camp. After the war he was put in charge of 5 Bavarian coal mines in spite of having no knowledge of mining. The military assumed that because he came from Pennsylvania, he would know something about coal mining. By war’s end, he had been awarded 4 battle stars, the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star. He was mustered out of the military in October, 1945. He and his bride moved to Pennsylvania and he attended Lafayette College in Easton. He graduated in June 1949 with a degree in chemical engineering. Recalled to military service, he posted in Korea in June, 1951. He participated in the Inchon landing and received another Battle Star for his service in Korea. After the Korean War and again a civilian, he was offered a job in January, 1953, as a Shift Supervisor working for DuPont at the Savannah River Plant near Aiken, SC. The family moved to North Augusta and Mr. Arnold would work for DuPont until he retired in 1978. Mr. Arnold was a long-time member of Fairview Presbyterian Church in North Augusta. He was a cornerstone of the choir and an eager participant in any theatrical presentation at the church. He served as deacon and elder for several terms. He taught Sunday School and was Sunday School superintendent after his retirement. He never surrendered his love of the King James Bible. Along with his musical ability, he was known for his sense of humor—sometimes subtle, at other times raucous. He loved to travel and visited every state in the Union. He and wife Paula made several international trips; he bequeathed his love of travel to his children. An avid outdoorsman, he assisted with Boy Scouts. A member of the North Augusta Country Club, he eschewed technology and kept his old putter with its wooden shaft. An amateur woodworker, he frequently frustrated himself with his own perfectionism when working on furniture. Doug and Paula moved to the Presbyterian Home in Clinton, SC in 1995. They continued to travel and visit with family for several years. Mr. Arnold is predeceased by his wife, who died in 2004, and by his son, Ed, who died in 1966. He leaves a legacy in his children and their families: Doug and Barbara Arnold; Melanie and Tim Howie and his grandchildren Rebecca (and husband, Jamie), Amanda, and Sarah; John and Sheila Arnold; and Bill and Beverly Arnold with his grandchildren Brandy, Chris, and Hannah. The family will receive friends at the church following the service. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Fairview Presbyterian Church Choir Fund, 1101 Carolina Ave., North Augusta, SC 29841 or to the Presbyterian Communities of South Carolina, 2817 Ashland Rd., Columbia, SC 29210. Posey Funeral Directors of North Augusta in charge of arrangements (803-278-1181). Visit the registry online at www.poseyfuneralhome.com

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Douglas E. Arnold

October 31, 1915 - July 12, 2009