Norman Arnold Obituary

Norman Arnold Columbia, SC - Norman Jerome Arnold passed away peacefully at his home in Columbia on Tuesday, August 16, 2016, at the age of 86, with his family by his side. Funeral service will be held 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, August 17, 2016 at Beth Shalom Synagogue, 5827 Trenholm Road, Columbia. Interment at Synagogue Emanu-El Cemetery on Sycamore Avenue in Charleston, SC will take place at 2:30 p.m. Dunbar Funeral Home, Devine Street Chapel, is assisting the family. Norman Arnold was born in Charleston on October 2nd, 1929. He was the only child to the late Flossie and Ben Arnold. He moved to Columbia in 1938. After graduating from Oglethorpe University in 1952, Norman joined the Navy and became an officer, where he did a four-year tour of duty during the Korean conflict. After the Navy he joined Ben Arnold Company. Shortly after his father, Ben Arnold, passed away in 1963, he became President and CEO of Ben Arnold Company. Under his leadership, the company had continuous and substantial growth and for many years was listed among the top ten privately owned businesses in South Carolina. The company was selected by the University of South Carolina Graduate School of Business as one of four "Model South Carolina Companies" for study by the Advanced Management students. After his retirement from Ben Arnold Company, he joined his son, Ben D. Arnold and they formed Arnold Companies, a Columbia based real estate development firm. Norman Arnold was a Director of the Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America for 28 years. In 1964, he was elected Chairman of its Council of Young Executives. He was a recipient of the 1977 TIME Magazine Distinguished Community Service Award. He served as Chairman of the Advisory Board of Directors of the Citizens and Southern Bank (now Bank of America). Norman Arnold was also very active in community affairs. He was a founder and past president of the Boy's Clubs in Columbia and one of the founders and past president of the Columbia Zoological Park. He was Chairman of the Heart Fund. He served for many years on the Providence Hospital (Sisters of Charity) Board of Trustees and on the Board of the Medical University of South Carolina Cardiovascular Institute for Research and Prevention. Internationally, he funded and built the The Arnold Community Center in Carmel, Israel and was involved in the Israeli Tennis Association. Mr. Arnold was on the Board of the Preventative Medicine Research Institute and was influential in bringing the Dr. Dean Ornish Cardiac Rehabilitation and Research Program to South Carolina. He served on the Board of Directors of the Kushi Macrobiotic Institute and established the Macrobiotic Center in Columbia. Norman was a member of the Oversight Board of the Medical University of South Carolina for eight years. Mr. Arnold was appointed by Governor McNair to the Chairmanship of the South Carolina Children's Bureau. He was selected by Governor West to serve as Chairman of the South Carolina Employment Training Council (CETA). In 1983, he was committee Chairman of the Governor Riley's Economic Task Force. He served on the South Carolina Research Authority and Governor Edwards' Board of Medical Education and Cancer Advisory Committee. He was appointed by Governor Carroll Campbell in 1989 to the South Carolina Development Board. Norman Arnold was active in education as well. He was a Trustee of Oglethorpe University for 20 years. He also served on the Board of Heathwood Hall Episcopal School. Mr. Arnold donated $10 million to the University of South Carolina to finance an endowment that supports teaching, research and public education efforts for University of South Carolina's School of Public Health, which now bears his name, The Norman J. Arnold School of Public Health. In 2015, Norman and his wife, Gerry Sue Arnold made another large gift to establish The Institute on Aging, with a focus on obesity prevention and brain fitness at the school. In addition to USC, Mr. Arnold gave a family challenge gift to Palmetto Health Woman's and Children's Services which inspired the community to give more than his original gift. Furthermore, he continued his legacy with Palmetto Health by endowing the ACE Unit. In his father's memory, Norman Arnold established the Ben Arnold Memorial Foundation in 1965, which funds educational and health programs and built the Ben Arnold Memorial Boy's Club in Columbia - the first such facility in South Carolina. In 1997, the Norman J. Arnold Foundation was established. Mr. Arnold was on the National Board of Trustees of the American Jewish Historical Society. He was a founding Director of Project Interchange. Since 1989, he has served on the Board of Governors' Budget and Finance Committee of the Jewish Agency for Israel and attends meetings in Israel at least three times a year. In 1998, Mr. Arnold was appointed to the United States Department of Commerce, US-Israel Science & Technology Commission. Norman Arnold was a proud Jew, deeply committed to Jewish causes and especially thankful for his many associations with Israel. He was a lifelong member of Beth Shalom Synagogue. Henry and Sylvia Norman and Gerry Sue Arnold were early and generous supporters of the Yaschik/Arnold Jewish Studies Program at the College of Charleston. Mr. Arnold devoted many years of his life to Jewish causes. These causes included the Norman and Gerry Sue Arnold Jewish Campus, the Jewish Welfare Federation where he served as its Campaign Chairman. He also was a recipient of the Israeli Bonds Award in Columbia and a major contributor to Columbia Chabad and Low Country Chabad of Charleston, SC. He also was a member of Synagogue Emanu-El and the Hebrew Benevolent Society. Norman and Gerry Sue Arnold together, with Henry and Sylvia Yaschik, endowed the Jewish Studies program at the College of Charleston. Norman is survived by his loving wife of 53 years, Gerry Sue Arnold; loving sons, Ben Daniel Arnold (Lisa), Michael Siegel Arnold and David Ginsberg Arnold (Alicia); grandchildren, Ava Fein Arnold, Aaron Ginsberg Arnold, Adam Zachary Arnold, and Jacob Siegel Arnold. The Arnold family would like to extend special thanks to Janelle Etheridge and the late William Randolph Taylor for their incredible support and friendship to the Arnold family for many years. Please sign the online guestbook at www.dunbarfunerals.com. Visit our guestbook at www.legacy.com/obituaries/ charleston