Obituary of Eugene C. Arnold

Captain Eugene Carol Arnold, 88, of Clinton Township, New Jersey, passed away peacefully Oct. 9, 2023, after a long battle with dementia.

Gene is survived by his wife of more than 55 years, Lynn; daughter Jennifer and her husband Adrian; daughter Suzanne and her children, Charlie and Cameron; and son Paul, his wife, Elizabeth, and their children, Graeme and Elle. He is also survived by two sisters, Edie and Rita; 28 nieces and nephews; a grandcat, Tatiana; and two granddogs, Baxter and Beatrix. He was predeceased by his parents, Paul and Edith Arnold, and five brothers and sisters.

Gene was born Oct. 31, 1934, in Memphis, Tennessee. After graduating from Catholic boys’ high school in Memphis, Gene attended Memphis State University with an ROTC Commission. He joined the Air Force and served six years active duty as a bomber and cargo aircraft pilot and four years in the reserves. He then flew for Eastern Airlines until his retirement as a captain in 1990, and he continued working for many years thereafter as an independent sales representative for a N.J.-based engineering company.

In 1968, Gene and Lynn moved to Dogwood Farm in Clinton Township. For five decades, Gene was an avid gardener and steward of his land. He raised ringneck pheasants, goats, chickens and sheep on his property and delighted in planting specimen trees of all sorts across  the acres, usually with his English springer spaniels by his side. One of his biggest pleasures was bringing orphaned lambs to nursery schools throughout the county so the children could bottle feed them. They would arrive with “Farmer Arnold” in specially fitted Pampers!

In addition to being a beloved husband, father, grandfather and friend, Gene was an active member of the community, volunteering his time on the board of the YMCA and as a member of North Hunterdon Rotary and the Holy Name Society at St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Saturday, October 28th, at 10:00 AM, at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, 316 Old Allerton Rd., Annandale, NJ, 08801. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to:
Crossroads4Hope 3 Crossroads Drive Bedminster, NJ 07921 908-658-5400, crossroads4hope.org/donate