In Memory of

William

Robert

Arthur

Obituary for William Robert Arthur

William Robert Arthur, age 84, of Falls View died March 30, 2018. He was born January 12, 1934 and was the son of the late William Patrick and Virgie Aldridge Arthur. He was also preceded in death by his wife Patricia Hiles Arthur and brothers Richard and Larry Arthur.

The oldest of seven boys, Bill grew up to be a hard working, family-oriented man. As a boy, he was always helping his parents care for his younger brothers. He attained the rank of Eagle Scout while he was growing up in Cannelton and graduated from Montgomery High School at the age of 16. With his first paycheck from his first job at Coppers Company in Montgomery, he bought his mom a refrigerator.

Those who worked with Bill said “he worked hard and he was smart. Throughout his career he learned how organizations worked and how people can accomplish so much as a team. He was a leader.”

He spent his career in the telecommunications industry working for Western Electric, which became AT&T Technologies. Bill started as an installer in 1952 and moved up through the company as an estimator, project manager, and operations area manager. After his retirement in 1989, he worked for several years with Lucent Technologies as an independent contractor. Never one to just sit around, after his time with Lucent, he managed the pro shop at the Hawk’s Nest Country Club.

Bill was keenly involved in his children’s lives as he encouraged them, cheered for them, coached them, and deeply loved them. He was a great influence in the lives of other children as well, as he coached many, many baseball and basketball teams – teaching not only fundamentals of sports but lessons for life. Bill was grateful for the opportunity to serve the children of Fayette County as a member of the Board of Education from 1996 through 2004. He was President of the Board from 1998 to 2000.

He joyfully and faithfully served his Lord Jesus Christ as a member and Elder of the Falls View Presbyterian Church.
He is survived by children Judy Holland and her husband John of Letart; Denice Duda and her husband Jim of Rockville, Maryland; Randy Arthur and his wife Denise of Cross Lanes; and Rodd Arthur and his wife Kim of Evans, Georgia; brothers Ben and his wife Jan of Cannelton, Patrick and his wife Sharon of Falls View, Terry and his wife Archie of Boomer, and Jim of Lost Creek; grandchildren Michael Meadows, Cynthia Meadows Click, Amanda Milan, Ashley Lemasters, Kayla Arthur, Sarah Arthur, Katy Smallwood, Lauren Arthur, and Travis Arthur; great-grandchildren Zackary, Brooklyn, Isabella, and Sophia.
Funeral services will be at 2:00 p.m. Saturday, April 7, at the Falls View Presbyterian Church with Pastor Kari Preslar officiating. Entombment will follow at Kanawha Valley Memorial Gardens in Glasgow. Friends may call from 6 until 9 p.m. at O’Dell Funeral Home Friday evening.
Expressions of sympathy can be sent to http://www.odellfuneralhome.com.


The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be sent to the Kanawha County Alzheimer’s Association, 1601 Second Avenue, Charleston, West Virginia 25387. Please specify that the donation be used for research.