William A. Arnold

ARNOLD, William A.
Beloved husband, father and grandfather, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, September 9th, 2008. Bill was born on July 12, 1920 in Elmira, NY. He graduated from Elmira Southside High School in 1938. He was predeceased by his wife of 58 years, June; parents, Walter and Gertrude Arnold; brother, Ted; and sisters, June and Norma. He is survived by his five children, Michael and Dotti Arnold, Vestal, NY, Marsha and John Gana, Little Meadows, Pa., Thomas and Debra Arnold, Owego, NY, David and Beth Arnold, Johnson City, NY, and Joseph Arnold and Sunday, Apalachin, NY. He is also survived by grandsons, Matthew, Justin, Nathan, and Joshua Arnold; and sister, Avis Clark and her husband, Bob; special nephews and nieces, Tedd and Carol, Brenda, Donna, Stu and Lynn; brothers-in-law, Gene Adams and Ward Adams; and numerous friends and neighbors, including crew members from the 455th Bomb Group. He attended the 50th reunion at Langley Field, VA in 1993. Bill will be remembered for his dry sense of humor, his great story telling of his youthful endeavors and his friendly demeanor to everyone he met. Bill was a member of St. Margaret Mary's church in Apalachin, NY. One of his most notable accomplishments was as a US Army Air Corp B-24 bomber pilot in WWII, where he received a Presidential Citation, Air Medal, Distinguished Flying Cross and Oak Leaf Clusters. He received a medal of valor for completing 50 combat missions in June 1944, and continued to serve in the military until November 1945, when he was given an honorable discharge. He graduated from Northrup Aeronautical Institute in California in 1953 with a degree in Aeronautical Engineering. He was employed as a Mechanical Engineer at Modern Design and IBM Endicott, where he received numerous awards and patents. Bill retired from IBM in 1982, after many years of service. After his retirement, Bill became involved in renewable energy, installing solar panels and building windmills. Bill was also a member of AMVETS flying club at Tri-Cities airport during the 1960s. A Memorial Service will be held Saturday, September 13th at 1:30 p.m. at St. Margaret Mary's church in Apalachin, NY. The family will receive friends on Saturday from 12:30-1:30 p.m. at the church. Burial to immediately follow at Riverside Cemetery on Marshland Rd., Apalachin. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Williams' memory to the Ronald McDonald House of Central NY 1027-29 East Genesee Street, Syracuse, NY 13210 (rmhc.com). Arrangements are by the Coleman and Daniels Funeral Home, Rt. 434, Apalachin.