George D. Arnold Obituary - Visitation & Funeral Information

George Dewey Arnold, 85, of Beloit, WI, transitioned from labor to reward on Saturday, July 30, 2022. George was born on August 25, 1936 in Indianola, Mississippi, the son of Lucille Jones and George Arnold. In 1941, he and his family moved to Rockford, IL, during the time when Blacks were migrating north in search of opportunities. He received his GED before entering the U.S. Airforce in 1954. On August 1, 1956, George married the love of his life, Marion Elaine Wilson. To this union were born three daughters Susan Kay, Pamela Denise, and Kimberly Inez. George accepted Christ at an early age. Before his move to Beloit, he was a long-time active member of New Psalmist Baptist Church in Baltimore, MD. Upon returning to Beloit he joined Emmanuel Baptist Church, where he was an active member until the time of his death. Following his service in the Air Force, George was employed by Chrysler at the Belvidere Assembly Plant. From there, he moved on to work for the Housing and Urban Development Administration as a human services worker. His career progressed when he joined Bendix Communications Corporation in South Bend Indiana as head of labor relations and eventually manager of Human Resources. In 1994, George went on to work for the City of Baltimore under the administration of Mayor Kurt Schmoke. In his spare time, George enjoyed fishing, reading, and listening to music. He collected thousands of books and records from a vast variety of subjects and genres. He was also an excellent cook and in the late 60’s owned and operated Soulville Barbeque House in Rockford, IL. George was a nationally acclaimed civil rights advocate and an avid follower of the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. For nearly 50 years, he dedicated himself to keeping Dr. King's voice alive by memorizing and reciting his speeches and letters. Over the years, he delivered his program, "Echoes of Dr. King," to more than 1,500 schools, churches and civic organizations since he began memorizing King’s texts in 1969. For George, Dr. King's words remained living illustrations and not archival exhibits. George leaves to continue his legacy, three daughters, Susan Morrow of Beloit, WI, Pamela Arnold of Chicago, IL, and Kimberly Arnold of Sterling, VA; two sons, Quentin and Quincy Roberson of Rockford, IL; a surrogate daughter, Wilda Dear of Washington DC; four grandchildren, Erica (Shedrick W.) Daniels of Roscoe, IL, Sheena Morrow of Indianapolis, IN, Eboni Morrow and Shayla Morrow, both of Beloit, WI; a surrogate granddaughter, Hajia Mahmoud of Washington, DC; six great grandchildren, Christian, Madison, Morgan, Chloe, Londynn, and Laueryn; one sister, Clarene Williams of Los Angeles, CA; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents; his loving wife, Marion; sisters, Christine Jones, Dorothy Smith, Jennie Ross, and Albertha Manning. A Celebration of Life will be held at 12:00 noon on Friday, August 5, 2022 at Emmanuel Baptist Church, 1151 Dr. Floyd Prude Jr. (East Grand) Avenue, Beloit, WI, with Pastor OJ Newburn Sr. officiating and Minister Kimberly Inez Arnold delivering the eulogy. Burial will be in East Lawn Cemetery with military honors accorded by the V.F.W. Mead-Allen Post #2306. Visitation of remembrance will be from 11:00 a.m. until the time of service Friday at the church. Services will be streamed via the Emmanuel Baptist Church, Beloit, Wisconsin Facebook page and via the website at www.ebcbeloit.org. Stream Service at: https://www.ebcbeloit.org/ https://www.facebook.com/emmanuelbeloit/ In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Gen8 Foundation (www.gen8.org) on behalf of The Black Male Role Group of Beloit, WI.

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George D. Arnold

August 25, 1936 - July 30, 2022