Leon Lansard Arnold

Leon L. Arnold, age 82, of Rockford, Michigan, passed away unexpectedly as a result of an auto accident on September 10, 2022. He was the beloved husband to Patricia Ann (Williams) Arnold for 51 years.

Born on January 13, 1940, in Pocahontas, Arkansas to Gurney and Leonie (Lansard) Arnold. The family moved to Hillsdale, Michigan in 1941. Leon attended and graduated from Hillsdale High School in 1958. He went on to attend Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree and later a teaching certificate in secondary education. Following college, Leon worked for a combined 43 years in the hospital laboratory as a Medical Technologist for St. Mary’s Hospital and Metropolitan Hospital before retiring.

Leon was a devout Catholic whose beliefs guided him in much of his work within the church and his way of life. He was a generous, caring, and loving man, who was always willing to lend a hand, or share his wisdom with others. He was an active member of St. Alphonsus Catholic Church and the St. Alphonsus Catholic school board and more recently regularly attended Our Lady of Consolation Catholic Church in Rockford. He and Patricia were active in supporting Right to Life and Retrouvaille; a marriage program that helps couples restore their marriage and rebuild a loving relationship.

Leon enjoyed playing tennis and golfing, particularly in the St. Roberts Golf League, where he and his golf partners regularly vied for and often won the league championship. At home, Leon enjoyed gardening, camping, and tinkering with various projects around the house, but most of all, he enjoyed spending time with his wife, children, and grandchildren.

Leon is survived by his wife, Patricia; his children, Sarah Infante and husband, Dave of Denver, CO; Marietta “Etta” Bendekgey and husband, Christopher of Hudsonville, MI; and David Arnold and wife Jennifer of Freeport, MI; one sibling, Florence Arnold of Hillsdale, MI; grandchildren, Nathanial, Alexa, and Logan Infante; Vivian, Christian, and Julian Bendekgey; and Jessica and Levi Arnold; along with his sister-in-law, Dottie Arnold and several nieces and nephews in Massachusetts and Florida, as well as cousins in Winnipeg and Manitoba, Canada.

Leon was preceded in death by his parents Gurney Sr. and Leonie Arnold and his brother, Gurney Arnold Jr.

Visitations will be held Friday, September 16, 2022, from 6pm to 8pm with a Rosary beginning at 7:30pm, at Stegenga Funeral Chapel, 1601 Post Dr. NE, Belmont, MI 49306. A Memorial Mass will be held on Saturday, September 17th at 11am at Our Lady of Consolation, 4865 11 Mile Rd. NE, Rockford, MI 49341. Relatives and friends may also greet the family beginning at 10am prior to the start of the Memorial Mass. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in memory of Leon Arnold to the Right to Life of Michigan https://rtl.org/donate/donate-in-memory-of/ or Help Pregnancy Aid https://helppregnancy.org/donate. Condolences may be sent online at www.mkdfuneralhome.com