Arthur James Pullin passed away peacefully in his sleep on December 26, 2025, at his home in Richmond, VA aged 96 years. Beloved husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. Arthur was born in Camberwell, London, England on June 30,1929. He was the only child of Arthur Albert Pullin (decorator) and Emily Anne Collier (shirtmaker).
Arthur was one of the few children to stay in London during the Blitz of WWII. When Arthur was 14, he left school to find employment. His first job was to move large trucks around for a meat distributor. He worked for several businesses "underneath the arches" at that time in London and had many stories of his evenings during the Blitz. He eventually started an office job at an advertising company and progressed in that career for the rest of his working life.
He worked for Haddon's Advertising Agency, where he met Vera Ross and they married January 24,1953, at Holy Redeemer Lamorby, Sidcup, Kent. Arthur continued his career in advertising with several companies including Young and Rubicam's London office and retired as Advertising Director with Dewe Rogerson.
Arthur gave 40 years devoted service to the Royal Observer Corps, a volunteer arm of the Royal Air Force created as a civil defense organization for aircraft detection and nuclear monitoring. He joined the New Cross, London Post in 1948. He attained the level of Observer Officer, after serving at 10 Post, Borough Green, No 1 Group Maidstone, Kent. One of his treasured memories was attending the Royal Review by H. M. The Queen, in 1966 marking the 25th Anniversary of the formation of the Royal Observer Corps. Aircraft was Arthur's passion and there wasn't an air show that he missed taking his family to see. He was also lucky enough to fly on the Concorde twice.
Arthur was self-educated being an avid reader and aviation historian. In the 1970s he spent a lot of time helping to excavate planes that had crashed into the fields of Kent and Sussex during the Battle of Britain. Right up to the end of his life he was doing historical research on Royal Canadian Airforce pilots' exploits in WWII, for their families. Arthur's name was added to the Aviation Memorial Wall at the Smithsonian aviation museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Dulles, VA in 2024.
Arthur's other passion was stamp collecting and he wrote several articles which were published in Raflet, the stamp collectors' magazine.
Arthur and Vera raised their family in East Dulwich and Peckham, London and Biggin Hill, Borough Green, Sevenoaks and Hildenborough in Kent, England.
In 1989 after he retired he, and his wife Vera, moved to Herndon, VA to be closer to their daughters who had immigrated to the United States. In 1998, he became a US Citizen.
Arthur was a devoted family man and is survived by his wife, Vera Joyce Pullin (Ross), of almost 73 years; his daughters, Susan Anne Carol Pullin, and Jennifer June Bott (Jim), his granddaughters Jessica Randazzo (Joe), Brittany Bowser (Josh), Emily Case (Shawn), and Katie Martin; and four great-grandchildren; JJ Bowser and Ben Bowser, and Gaspare Randazzo and George Randazzo.
A family service to celebrate his life will be held at a later date. The family requests donations be made to St Jude Children's Research Hospital at www.stjude.org or At Home Care & Hospice, Richmond, at www.athomecareandhospice.com.
Arthur was one of the few children to stay in London during the Blitz of WWII. When Arthur was 14, he left school to find employment. His first job was to move large trucks around for a meat distributor. He worked for several businesses "underneath the arches" at that time in London and had many stories of his evenings during the Blitz. He eventually started an office job at an advertising company and progressed in that career for the rest of his working life.
He worked for Haddon's Advertising Agency, where he met Vera Ross and they married January 24,1953, at Holy Redeemer Lamorby, Sidcup, Kent. Arthur continued his career in advertising with several companies including Young and Rubicam's London office and retired as Advertising Director with Dewe Rogerson.
Arthur gave 40 years devoted service to the Royal Observer Corps, a volunteer arm of the Royal Air Force created as a civil defense organization for aircraft detection and nuclear monitoring. He joined the New Cross, London Post in 1948. He attained the level of Observer Officer, after serving at 10 Post, Borough Green, No 1 Group Maidstone, Kent. One of his treasured memories was attending the Royal Review by H. M. The Queen, in 1966 marking the 25th Anniversary of the formation of the Royal Observer Corps. Aircraft was Arthur's passion and there wasn't an air show that he missed taking his family to see. He was also lucky enough to fly on the Concorde twice.
Arthur was self-educated being an avid reader and aviation historian. In the 1970s he spent a lot of time helping to excavate planes that had crashed into the fields of Kent and Sussex during the Battle of Britain. Right up to the end of his life he was doing historical research on Royal Canadian Airforce pilots' exploits in WWII, for their families. Arthur's name was added to the Aviation Memorial Wall at the Smithsonian aviation museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Dulles, VA in 2024.
Arthur's other passion was stamp collecting and he wrote several articles which were published in Raflet, the stamp collectors' magazine.
Arthur and Vera raised their family in East Dulwich and Peckham, London and Biggin Hill, Borough Green, Sevenoaks and Hildenborough in Kent, England.
In 1989 after he retired he, and his wife Vera, moved to Herndon, VA to be closer to their daughters who had immigrated to the United States. In 1998, he became a US Citizen.
Arthur was a devoted family man and is survived by his wife, Vera Joyce Pullin (Ross), of almost 73 years; his daughters, Susan Anne Carol Pullin, and Jennifer June Bott (Jim), his granddaughters Jessica Randazzo (Joe), Brittany Bowser (Josh), Emily Case (Shawn), and Katie Martin; and four great-grandchildren; JJ Bowser and Ben Bowser, and Gaspare Randazzo and George Randazzo.
A family service to celebrate his life will be held at a later date. The family requests donations be made to St Jude Children's Research Hospital at www.stjude.org or At Home Care & Hospice, Richmond, at www.athomecareandhospice.com.
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