William E. "Buddy" Arnold, Jr.

WILLIAM E. "BUDDY" ARNOLD, JR., age 83, of North Little Rock, passed away March 5, 2016. He was born Aug. 25, 1932 in El Dorado, Ark. to the late Ellis and Marguerite Arnold. He was preceded in death by the love of his life and wife of 58 years, Jo and a son, Steven who passed away at birth. He was also preceded in death by his brother, Billy Bob Arnold. Buddy was a graduate of the United States Naval Academy with a degree in mathematics and was a professional engineer. Upon graduation, he served his country in the US Air Force and with his family moved from Little Rock to Okinawa and ultimately to strategic air command headquarters in Omaha. Having risen to the rank of captain at an early age, he made the decision to serve his country outside the military and returned from Omaha to North Little Rock. Buddy was a civil engineer at the Little Rock Air Force Base where he served as chief missile engineer, chief civil engineer and ultimately was the chief base engineer. Buddy was widely recognized as an expert on energy and conservation years before others thought of them as a priority. His work with energy leaders and his frequent testimony before the Arkansas Public Service Commission made him a well-known champion for energy conservation in the 1980s. Before his retirement, he was named "Outstanding Federal Employee" worldwide from over 16,000 Military Airlift Command employees. As dedicated as he was to his profession, Buddy made the decision to retire at an early age and devote the remainder of his life to serving his church. While Buddy and Jo were always active members and leaders at Lakewood United Methodist, Buddy chose to dedicate the decade after his retirement to serving the church in state, national and international capacities. From Conference Lay Leader to his selection to lead the North Arkansas Conference at General Conference, Buddy was a leader within the state. He ultimately served on national boards and commissions and ultimately international commissions. Through his work with the church, Buddy and Jo traveled from Kenya to Hong Kong, from Brazil to Russia and throughout Europe. Although Buddy received numerous awards, he will most be remembered for his positive attitude, his contagious energy, his integrity, his love of people, his devotion to his family and that he led a life based on prayer and love of Christ. He is survived by his son, W. Ellis Arnold, III and Kim and by two granddaughters for whom he had enormous pride, Laura Elizabeth Arnold and Grace Ellis Arnold. A memorial service will be held Wednesday, March 9 at 10:30 am at Lakewood United Methodist Church. A graveside services for the family will follow at Pinecrest Memorial Park. A reception will be held immediately following the memorial service. Memorials may be made to Lakewood United Methodist Church, 1922 Topf Road, North Little Rock, AR 72116. Online Guestbook: www.rollerfuneralhomes.com/owens.