Marvin Arthur

Marvin Wendell Arthur died March 1, 2001, at home in Helendale (Silver Lakes), after losing his battle with pancreatic cancer. He was born in Martinsville, Ind., on July 25, 1922, and has lived in Silver Lakes for the past seven years. Marvin was a P51 fighter pilot stationed in England with the Fourth Fighter Group during World War II, where he was awarded an Air Medal with Three Oak Leaf Clusters and the European-African-Middle Eastern Service Medal. His crew chief was Don Allen, who in civilian life was a commercial artist. Don painted much of the nose art on Fourth Fighter Group planes. Marvin's plane was called "Blondie," and is featured in various nose art books, and to our surprise, we learned that there was also a model plane in hobby shops which featured "Blondie." After the war, Marvin taught flying for a while, and then worked at Burroughs/Unisys Corp. for many years as a computer test engineer. He is survived by his wife, Maxine of Helendale; sons David of Marietta, Ga., and Joseph of Tehachapi; daughters Sandra and Suzanne both of Columbus, Ohio, and Wendy Antista of Tehachapi; stepsons Steven Frasure of Aliso Viejo, and James Frasure of Keller, Texas; stepdaughter Cheryl Vigil of Helendale; sister Marietta Jeanne Arthur of Garden Grove; and 21 grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He was a wonderful man who was loved by all who knew him. He will be greatly missed. Services will be held in the Church of Our Heritage on the grounds of Forest Lawn-Covina Hills at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday. Senior Pastor Dale Bergman of Silver Lakes Community Church will officiate. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the American Cancer Society.