David Arthur

Col. David W. Arthur, USA, (Ret.) Because I could not stop for death He kindly stopped for me; The carriage held but just ourselves And Immortality - SAVANNAH - David William Arthur peacefully received his final promotion to Glory on Wednesday, August 3, 2016. Dave was born December 11, 1942 in Yonkers, New York, the third child and only son of Doris and John Arthur. He grew up in Westport, Connecticut, graduating from Staples High School in 1960 and enlisting in the U.S. Army shortly thereafter. He served briefly as a sound ranging artilleryman in Korea before earning an appointment to the United States Military Academy Prep School and, upon graduation, to the United States Military Academy at West Point, graduating with the class of 1966 as class vice president and the first cadet commander of the then-newly formed Fourth Regiment of the Corps of Cadets. He served as an Army Infantry officer for 27 years, including two tours in the Republic of Vietnam as a rifle company commander and an advisor to a battalion of Vietnamese Rangers. His military awards include, among others, a Silver Star, Bronze Stars with third oak leaf cluster and V device, and a Soldiers Medal. He returned to West Point to serve as a Tactical Officer mentoring cadets, then served in command and staff positions in Colorado, Germany, Georgia, Kansas, Pennsylvania, and finally at the Pentagon, from which he retired. He continued to influence students after his time in the Army by teaching mathematics for ten years at Brooke Point High School in Stafford, Virginia, where he was also the boys' soccer head coach and an assistant coach for the boys' basketball team. Dave enjoyed poetry and music: those who had the good fortune to witness it will remember him reciting lines from Robert Service, Rudyard Kipling, or Robert Frost; slyly crooning a version of Have Some Madeira, M'Dear?; or channeling Professor Harold Hill to rail against the evils of pool to a living room of guests. He had a competitive spirit and excelled as an athlete in his younger days; held unending love for family and friends; and drew quiet strength from his deeply rooted personal faith. Dave is preceded in death by his parents, John and Doris Arthur and by his first wife, Joan, who died in 1976. He is survived by his wife of 39 years, Tam; two sisters, Meredith Quarrier of Bloomfield Hills, MI and Eleanor Raybold of Houston, TX; son David of Atlanta, GA; daughter Paige and husband Josh of Brooklyn, NY; son Joshua and wife Julie of Philadelphia, PA; and grandsons David, Jasper, and Frederick. He remained gentle, loving, and giving in spite of the dementia that shaped his last years, and he will be dearly missed by those who knew and loved him. The family thanks Comfort Keepers of Savannah and Spanish Oaks Retreat and Hospice for their care and kindness. There will be a celebration of Dave's life at St. Peter's Episcopal Church on Skidaway Island at 11:00am on Wednesday, August 10. The family asks that in lieu of flowers, those interested consider donating in his memory to Spanish Oaks Retreat and Hospice, the Alzheimer's Association of America, the West Point Association of Graduates, or the charity of your choice. Please sign our on-line guest book at www.foxandweeks.com Savannah Morning News August 7, 2016 Please sign our Obituary Guest Book at savannahnow.com/obituaries.