Arnold Pleasant

Arnold Pleasant
December 1, 2021
Olympia, Washington - With a heart full of love, a life full of precious memories and a body ready for mercy after a strongly fought battle with Corticobasal Degeneration, Arnold "Arnie" Pleasant passed away on 12/1/21, at the age of 83, leaving a legacy of kindness, selflessness, humble sincerity, and true love for his family and friends. He was loved by so many and wore many titles; Son, Husband, Father, Partner, Brother, Uncle, Grandpa, Cousin, Captain, Mentor, Volunteer Fireman, Athlete, but his most valuable title was that of Friend. He was truly a man who was a friend to all.
Arnie was born in Cowiche, WA, in June of 1938. There he gained a deep-seated love of family, friends, and sports. He was a natural athlete and excelled in basketball, baseball, and football. He attended Washington State University on a sports scholarship playing both basketball and baseball for his beloved Cougar team. Arnie still holds the WSU Cougar baseball record for single season hitting leader, RBI in the Wood Bat Era (1892-1973).
It was at Washington State University that he met his first love, MaryAnn Tranum. Together they had 3 children, Chris Pleasant, Linda (Pleasant) Peffer, and Mike Pleasant. They were married in December of 1961 and moved to Ft. Rucker, Alabama where Arnie was a flight instructor and 1st Lieutenant in the Army. After serving, they moved back to MaryAnn's hometown of Olympia, and he started flying commercially for Northwest Airlines. He enjoyed his 33-year career with the airlines; traveling all over the world experiencing many different cultures and enjoying all the different kinds of food.
Arnie had many passions that he enjoyed: hunting and fishing, traveling, watching WSU football, golfing, hosting family and friends, tinkering around his beautiful home and property, and of course watching his grandkids play any sport. He was so proud of his 6 grandchildren: Madison (22), Skylar (18) (Christopher and Tonya Pleasant), Nick (18), Katie (17) (Linda and Cory Peffer), Ossie (29) and Adelaide (15) (Michael and Deidre Pleasant).
It was shortly after his retirement in 1998 that Arnie lost MaryAnn, his spouse of 39 years, to breast cancer in September of 2000. He was devastated, but soon after he met the angel sent to him, Nancy Webster, from North Carolina. Arnie and Nancy enjoyed many years traveling and spending time with family and friends.
In September of 2013, Arnie was diagnosed with Corticobasal Degeneration – a very rare debilitating degenerative brain disease. He was part of a study through the University of California San Francisco Weill Institute for Neurosciences Aging and Memory Center in hopes to further research and treatments. Nancy became his loving and committed caretaker in his final years, working tirelessly to ensure that he was comfortable throughout his progression in the disease.
In lieu of flowers, we suggest making a donation to the following charities that were so very valuable and meaningful to Arnie:
1. Weill Institute for Neurosciences Memory and Aging Center
On line: Https://memory.ucsf.edu/about/support-us
Mail:Check payable to UCSF Foundation
Memo line to include: MAC Fund B1871 / Arnold Pleasant
Address: UCSF Foundation
Lockbox 45339
San Francisco, CA 94145-0339
2.Washington State Cougar Athletic Fund
On line:https://cougarathleticfund.com/
Memo line – In memory of Arnold Pleasant, Alumnus ('60)
A celebration of Arnie's incredible journey through life will be held at a later date after the holidays. Until then, raise your glass and salute Arnold "Arnie" Pleasant for being "A friend to all, and all his friend". Cheers.