William Arnwine

William C. Arnwine of Riverside, Calif., passed away at his home on May 26, 2018.
William is survived by his wife, Juanita Arnwine; her sons and daughters, Julie, Thomas, Patricia and Michael; his children, William, Jean, James, Clark and Neil, whom he shared with former spouse Charlotte Lou Arnwine. He is also survived by his brothers, James and Dean Arnwine, both of Independence, Kan., along with grandchildren, Ashley and Carly; and 13 others who called him Papa.
He was preceded in death by his brother, Charles.
William was born in McCurtain to William F. and Marie Arnwine on July 28, 1929.
After graduating from McCurtain High School, he went on to obtain a degree in industrial engineering from Oklahoma A&M College (now Oklahoma State University) in 1955. Following two years of service as lieutenant in the Army, including one year in Korea, William earned master’s and PhD degrees from Iowa State University, also in industrial engineering.
His career included appointments as a faculty member and department chair at the University of Arkansas, the University of Nebraska at Omaha and New Mexico State University prior to long service for Rockwell International in Anaheim, Calif., where his distinctions included being named the National Engineer of the Year in 1988.
William remained close to his roots in McCurtain, returning annually for many years.
James and Dean, along with some of their brother’s remains, will travel from Kansas to attend the McCurtain High School Reunion on June 30.
They will meet a few of William’s kinfolk and friends, and some will help scatter their brother’s ashes in a few of his favorite places.
A memorial is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 4 at the Riverside National Cemetery, 22495 Van Buren Blvd., March Air Reserve Base, Calif. All are welcome to attend and celebrate Bill’s life.
In lieu of flowers, please send donations to a Parkinson’s foundation such as The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.