Thomas B. Arnold

Thomas B. Arnold passed away unexpectedly Monday, October 24, 2022, after sustaining injuries from a bicycle fall. He was 70.

Born February 12, 1952, in Bronxville, NY, Tom spent his childhood in Old Greenwich, CT and attended Greenwich Country Day School. He studied at the Pomfret School and completed a postgraduate year abroad at Haileybury in Hertfordshire, England. After graduating from Kenyon College in Ohio, Tom moved to New York City to work in advertising. In 1980, Tom married Kathleen Reilly and they moved to Princeton, NJ in 1982 to raise a family. Their marriage later ended in divorce. Tom continued to work in Manhattan for many years until the commute became tiresome. He then spent several years managing the beloved local Halo Farm and Halo Pub ice cream shops. It was during this time that he met Martha Bolster and after marrying in 2001, the couple settled in Ewing, NJ.

Tom will be remembered for his love of adventure. After several formative canoe camping trips in Maine in his adolescence, Tom became an avid outdoorsman - enjoying kayaking, canoeing, camping, hiking, biking, and jogging. Tom's interests took him on a NOLS expedition in 2004 in the Wind River Valley of Wyoming to develop his wilderness and outdoor education and leadership skills. Tom found solace in these pursuits. Through the Bolster family, Tom became acquainted with Camp Dudley in Westport, NY and spent several summers sharing his love of adventure with campers there and frequently leading overnight hiking trips. He had a unique ability to connect effortlessly with the young and the old. Later he worked at Project U.S.E., Outward Bound and the Princeton-Blairstown Center, where he was considered an integral part of their outdoor education staff and continued to work during his retirement. Of note, Tom ran 10 marathons - his first and fastest (3 hours and 15 minutes!) was Pittsburgh shortly after his 40th birthday - including the Philadelphia Marathon and the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, DC.

Tom was known for being intellectually curious, a prolific reader of books, and interested in music of many genres - from jazz to funk. He especially loved live music and could always be counted on to go to a concert whether it was Phish's annual New Year's Eve gig, South by Southwest, or the Austin City Limits festival. He was a source of kindness, creativity, gentility, wisdom, and affability.

Tom will be greatly missed by his loving wife Martha Bolster, his daughter Lucy Arnold Gore with former spouse Kathleen Arnold, Lucy's husband Nick, Tom's beloved grandchildren Stella and Connor Gore (who adored their "Grampy"), half-sisters Jennifer Arnold and Stephanie Arnold Pacheco, the entire Bolster family as well as his many great friends. Tom is predeceased by his parents, Stuart Arnold and Ann Reynolds.

A Celebration of Tom's Life will be held in his honor in 2023. In lieu of flowers, his family suggests contributions be made in his name to Princeton-Blairstown Center.