David Arnold

David Ellsworth Arnold, born October 18th 1923 in Minneapolis, Minnesota to Charles H. and Etta May Arnold (Tattersfield), passed away in the arms of his children and his sister at his Port Orchard home on Saturday, September 13th 2008.   David lived for his family as fully as a man could. His family was his purpose and his life. David Ellsworth Arnold (Dad, Darlin, Dave, Uncle David, Grandpa, Mr. Arnold, Brother and Sir) was a good, moral, decent, patriotic and adventure loving man.     David memorized the eye chart to be able to pass his physical and enlisted in the Army Air Corps in September of 1943. He was first in his training unit to make it to the war in the South Pacific where he served as a flight engineer in the 5th Air Force, 433rd Troop Carrier Group. He served in Luzon, New Guinea, Northern Solomons, the Bismarck Archipelago and the Southern Philippines. David received the Distinguished Flying Cross and other medals for his many missions and for rescuing a fellow soldier during one of the two crash landings he walked away from during the war. David was honorably discharged from the military on September 10th 1945.   After the war David continued his education to become a skilled electrician/aircraft mechanic. He married Sarah Houghton Wrenn on February 19th 1949. Before the war David’s sun rose and set on Minnesota. Having seen  more of the world during the war, David jumped at the chance to move to Seattle with Northwest Airlines in 1951. David, Sarah and three children were off to start a new life in a new home. Within a few years the airline was forcing employees in Seattle to relocate again but David was hooked on the Pacific Northwest. He refused the move and finished his working career with Bemis Bag, Rainier Brewery and The Port of Seattle at SeaTac.    After his working days were over David and Sarah fulfilled their life long dream of living on the water. In 1989 they moved to their retirement home, on Cornell Road, in Port Orchard. When not traveling they lived out their days immersed in friends, family and nature’s beauty on the beach until David was preceded in death by his beloved Sarah on May 17th 2005.   David is survived by his sister Elizabeth Gale (Spokane) and six children: sons Chuck of Auburn WA, Mark of Seattle, daughters Nancy (Patterson) and Meg (Mazzocchi) both of Hailey, Idaho and sons Bill of Port Orchard and Dave of Snoqualmie WA. David is also survived by 17 grand children, numerous extended family and will be missed by the many friends gained over a lifetime of being kind to people and doing the right thing each and every time.   A Mass in celebration of David’s life is to be held at Noon on Wednesday, September 17th 2008 at St. Gabriel’s Catholic Church in Port Orchard.