Mark John "Mike" Arnerich

MARK "MIKE" JOHN ARNERICH MARCH 11, 1925 - DEC. 29, 2005 Mark Mike John Arnerich passed away on December 29, 2005 at the age of 80 in Danville, California.

Mike was born in Hollister, California March 11, 1925. He was the youngest of five children and is survived by his oldest sister Francis Ramoni of Hollister, California.

At the age of 17, Mike enlisted in the US Navy following the attack of Pearl Harbor and soon after hearing that his cousin was killed on the USS Arizona. He was honorably discharged in 1946 as a Seaman 1st Class having served in the Asiatic-Pacific aboard a destroyer and a Liberty ship.

Mike was married to wife Roberta Jeannette Wilson, also of Hollister, for 52 years prior to her passing in 2002. Since 1952 he made his home in Modesto, California with his wife and two sons; Newell Arnerich of Danville, California and Michael R. Arnerich of Modesto, California. He served as President of the Dad's Club of John Muir Elementary School and was Boy Scout Master of Troop 13 at Geneva Presbyterian Church. Mike served as President of the local CSEA for several years and served on several statewide labor committees. He was known for his volunteer services to his community and for always helping friends make repairs on their homes or ranches. An avid square dancer, Mike was an active member of two dance clubs. He was a member of the Waterford Sportsman's Club where he and his wife traveleld with friends around the country in the later part of their retirement. In retirement he also volunteered with the US Forest Services as a Camp Host in the Sonora Pass area for several summers while enjoying frequent visits of his four grandchildren. The last four years of his decline with Alzheimer's and Parkinson disease was spent in the care of his son, Newell, and for the past two and a half years he lived in Danville. He will always be remembered as a strong and generous man with great will power and dedicated loyalty to his friends and family. He is also survived by four grandchildren and one great-grandson.

Services will be held in Hollister, California on Saturday, January 7, 2006 at 12:00 noon at Black and Cooper Sanders Funeral Home, 63 7th Street. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Alzheimer's Association, P.O. Box 309, Mountain View, CA 94042-0309 or to Parkinson Association of Northern CA., 900 Fulton Ave., Sacramento, CA 95828-4502.

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