Robert L. Arnold

Robert Lee Arnold, 85, of Zionsville, Indiana, passed away on July 16, 2023.

Born April 23, 1938 in Palmyra, Indiana to Thomas Jacob and Maxine Louise (Marshall) Arnold, at his Aunt Maggie and Uncle Jim Rudolph’s house.

Bob married the love of his life, Della Louise Blaker, at Meadlawn Christian Church, with Reverend Bill Walters presiding, in Indianapolis on May 9. 1959.

He had 8 children, 20 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren.

He graduated from Warren Central High School in 1956 and attended Ball State Teachers College.

Bob enjoyed shop class, industrial arts and drafting in high school. He competed in gymnastics, cross country, track and field and intramural basketball. He taught himself how to pole vault in his backyard on Massachusetts Avenue in Indianapolis. He made his own poles from branches of trees and landed on the bare ground. When he started vaulting in high school he had the luxury of landing on sand or piles of sawdust. He and his friends would pull a trailer to the lumber mill and load up sawdust to refresh the pit for a safer landing. He vaulted using bamboo and heavy steel pipe poles. Eventually he purchased 15 feet of aluminum tubing, painted every other foot black and then white, inserted a wood tip in one end and this was the pole he used through the end of HS. In 1955 and 1956 he was the Marion County HS pole vault champion and competed in the 1956 Indiana HS state finals meet. A picture of him learning how to pole vault is hanging up in the Indiana Track and Field Hall of Fame Museum in Terre Haute.

While attending Ball State in 1957 he competed on the gymnastics team and had intended on becoming a high school teacher. After he left Ball State he started a job as a butcher at Clapp’s Market on English Avenue in Indianapolis. There he met Della and they quickly fell in love and were married in 1959.

He also worked as an Omar man where he delivered bread and baked goods. Other part time jobs that he held were as a full service gas station attendant at Sinclair and as a butcher at Preston Supermarket. In 1961 he was hired on at Allison Transmission as an Inspector of transmission parts later becoming an Inspection Supervisor. He retired from Allison Transmission in 1992 after nearly 32 years.

He loved mentoring and coaching his children and others. He was a cub-scout leader for his sons in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He was a baseball coach at Bel-East Little League for many years. He also coached football at Northeastwood Youth Football League on the east side of Indianapolis. He would teach any kid that was interested how to pole vault. He coached his daughters in soccer and basketball.

He loved sports especially golf and he played in many Allison golf leagues. In 1985 he had a hole in one on the 17^th hole at the Gatlinburg Country Club. When he was younger he played basketball and softball on Allison league teams. He was also a talented woodworker and was a very good handyman and mechanic. He could fix any broken item although many times those items did not look the greatest when he was done with them but they were functional.

He really enjoyed country music (especially Johnny Cash), going to Gatlinburg with Della and their friends John and Joann Cooper and visiting many of the Indiana State Parks. Bob loved his dogs especially in the later years with his most recent furry friends being Jax, Crockett and Simon.

Bob was an amazing family man that deeply loved his wife, children, grandchildren, in-laws and other family members. He had many friends and was extremely kind to anyone that he met or entered his home. He was handsome, stubborn, extremely strong, very funny and had a strong faith in Jesus Christ. He suffered a debilitating stroke in 1997 that drastically changed his life and the lives of all of those that loved him. With one major health challenge after another over the next 26 years he handled each situation with humor and dignity. He will be greatly missed by all.

Bob is survived by his loving wife of 64 years, Della Arnold; children: Michael Dean (Debbie) Arnold, Greg (Cathy) Arnold,  Sheri (Rick) Hussung, Debbie (Brett) VanCamp, Janell (Chris) Guyman, Lynnette Maddox, Susan Arnold; 20 grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren; sister: Doris Teipen and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his father, Thomas; mother, Maxine; son, Gary Laine Arnold and brother, Thomas Richard Arnold.

A visitation will be held Friday, July 21, 2023 from 12-2:00pm at Zionsville United Methodist Church, 9644 Whitestown Road, Zionsville, Indiana. There will be a memorial service following the visitation starting at 2:00pm with Reverend David Williamson presiding. Memorial contributions may be made to Zionsville United Methodist Church at the address above or https://www.zumc.org/ . Contributions made via check to please include “Bob Arnold, to benefit the Isaiah 1:17 House” in the memo line.

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