Phil Arnold

1945 - 2019

Phil W. Arnold

April 17, 1945 - September 6, 2019

On Friday, September 6th, 2019, Phil Arnold, loving husband and father, died at the age of 74 after a courageous year-long struggle with pancreatic cancer. Phil was born on April 17th, 1945, in Alameda, California to Maurine and Harold Arnold. After growing up in Long Beach, California, he received his Bachelor's Degree in History from Stanford University and his Doctorate in Political Science from the University of Wisconsin at Madison before settling in San Francisco.

Phil married his wife of 33 years, Monique Zmuda, on May 4, 1986. In addition to Daniel, Phil's son from a prior marriage, they welcomed their children Paul, Adrienne and Misha into the world. Their lives were filled with family and friends, travel and laughter, and a devotion to their city and its people of all walks of life. For the majority of Phil's accomplished professional life he worked for the City and County of San Francisco, advocating for parks and recreation, open space and disadvantaged residents. His career began as a principal analyst at Harvey Rose Corporation working for the Board of Supervisors, and later spanned 11 years at the Recreation and Parks Department as Assistant General Manager, including serving as Acting Director of the San Francisco Zoo. He then spent 5 years at the Public Utilities Commission as a Financial Planner and finished his distinguished career with 12 years at the Human Services Agency as the Chief Financial Officer and Deputy Director for Finance and Administration. He was a mentor for many in the financial, social justice and environmental fields. After his retirement in 2012 he spent his free time volunteering for the Bay Area Ridge Trail and the San Francisco Parks Alliance. He also served on the governing board of the San Francisco Housing Authority, which provides housing to low-income residents. Due to his commitment to preservation of and access to open space for all, the Phil Arnold Trail in Golden Gate Park was dedicated in February.

Despite the challenges of his illness, Phil maintained that every day was a gift, right up to the end of his life. Phil will be deeply missed by a wide circle. He will be forever loved by his wife, Monique Zmuda; brother, Steve Arnold, sister-in-law Carol, and nieces Kristina and Melia; son Daniel Arnold, daughter-in-law Ashley and grandson Sage; son Paul Zmuda and daughter-in-law Ashley; daughter Adrienne Bechelli and son-in-law Brett; his daughter Misha Arnold; niece Nicole Tibbetts; and former wife Stephanie Kelvin Prieto. A celebration of his life will be held at the General's Residence at Fort Mason in San Francisco on Sunday, September 22 at 1:00 p.m. To continue his legacy, donations may be sent in his name to the Bay Area Ridge Trail or the San Francisco Parks Alliance.