Michael Lee Arbuckle

Michael Lee Arbuckle, 80, of Ashland City, Tennessee joined his Heavenly Father on Thursday, July 3, 2025 after he passed away from heart failure at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee.
Michael was a loving and faithful husband of 58 years to his wife Julie a supportive father to his two children Brandon and Tiffany and was a devoted grandfather to his five grandchildren: Solomon, Oliver, Clementine, Rowan and Stanley. Michael was born on October 9, 1944 in Columbus, Indiana. He was the youngest child of six to Reverend Alonzo James "AJ" and Caroline (Milburn) Arbuckle. Michael graduated in 1962 from Southwestern High School in Flat Rock, Indiana.
After graduation, he was employed by Cummins Engine Company in Columbus, Indiana. In August of 1964 he met his wife Julie at an A&W root beer stand in Greensburg, Indiana. The next fall, in 1965, Michael joined the United States Air Force and was stationed at Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas, Nevada. He returned home to Indiana to marry his sweetheart on April 29, 1967 at the First Baptist Church there in Greensburg. Michael and his bride returned to Las Vegas, where Michael remained in the Air Force until 1969. He and Julie, then returned to Indiana, where Michael took his love for aviation and found tremendous satisfaction working for Delta airlines. At that time, Michael also furthered his education at Indiana University and received his brokers license and worked for Century 21 Real Estate.
In 1983, Michael and his family moved to Fayetteville, Georgia when Michael was promoted by Delta into management of flight control at their corporate headquarters there in Atlanta where he remained a faithful employee until 2000 when he then retired after 31 years of employment. After retirement from Delta, Michael and Julie moved to South Africa where Michael was employed by South African Airways as the Director of Operations until "9-11". Upon returning to the U.S. Michael continued to do consulting work for various other international airlines. In 2004, he and Julie moved to Tennessee to be near their children and grandchildren. Upon becoming a grandfather in 2005 Michael's primary focus became his grandchildren and he became a professional "Papa" to them. It would be his proudest accomplishment of all. In 2024 Michael was diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer. He was fighting the disease valiantly until June 2025 when he was cutting his "beloved" grass and suffered a stroke. The stress on his heart from those things was simply more than it could handle and he passed away with family by his side on July 3, 2025 at 2:12 a.m.
Michael is preceded in death by his parents A.J. and Caroline Arbuckle, sister Patsy (Don) Weber, brother Donald (MaryEllen) Arbuckle, brother Lonnie Rae "Jake" Arbuckle, and sister-in-law, Janice Arbuckle.
He is survived by his wife, Julia Ann (Justus) Arbuckle of Ashland City, TN, his son Rev. Dr. Brandon M. (Nicole) Arbuckle of Glencoe, IL, his daughter Tiffany Arbuckle Lee of Hendersonville, TN, grandson's Solomon Fury Lee and Oliver Canon Lee, granddaughter Clementine Fire Lee and grandson's Rowan Henry Arbuckle and Stanley Alasdair Arbuckle. He also leaves behind a brother, James Arbuckle of Franklin, IN and a brother Robert (Sharon) Arbuckle of Flat Rock, IN as well as a sister-in-law, Sue Arbuckle of Greensburg, IN along with many wonderful nieces, nephews and cousins.
Services for Michael Lee Arbuckle will be held on July 21, 2025 at Hendersonville First Baptist Church in the chapel located in Hendersonville, Tennessee. Visitation will be from 10 AM until 12 noon with a service at 12 noon and a burial service with military honors at the Nashville National Cemetery afterwards.
Arrangements entrusted to Spring Hill Funeral Home, 5110 Gallatin Pike, Nashville, TN 37216. 615-865-1101. https://www.springhillfh.com