Bob MacArthur
In Memoriam
Robert MacArthur
A founding club member Robert E. MacArthur, 74, died peacefully from complications of Alzheimer's disease early Wednesday morning April 14, 2010, at Providence Extended Care.
A memorial service open to public will be at 3 p.m. Sunday at the Masonic Lodge on 15th Avenue and Eagle Street. A celebration of life will be at a later date. Burial will be in Bellingham, Wash.
Bob was born Sept. 6, 1935, in Omak, Wash., and moved to Bellingham as a young child. While in high school, from which he graduated in 1954, he had two years in the Navy Reserve, and then took active duty in the Army after his graduation. His first assignment was in Adak, after which he took time to attend Western Washington College.
He then returned to active duty. Having been a "boy disc jockey" while in high school, he began spending off-duty time on the air. After obtaining his broadcast MOS, he worked as a broadcaster at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., and Fort Carson, Colo., plus part-time commercial radio. He also served in Korea, served with SCN in Panama as a news anchor, and recruited across the southeastern U.S. In 1969-1970, he was with American Forces Vietnam Network, serving in Saigon and Quang Tri. This was followed by teaching at the Defense Information School and then a return to Alaska Armed Forces Radio and Television Service. He often moonlighted as a weekend news broadcaster for KENI- TV, now KTUU Channel 2. He retired in 1976 and only did occasional broadcasting. After retirement, Bob worked off and on as a store security person, both in Anchorage and in Bellingham.
Bob had a lifelong love of aviation, was a brilliant historian, gifted artist, and an avid model builder. He produced two professional aviation videotapes, one of which received excellent reviews in Pacific Flyer magazine, and was working on a third.
Bob was also active in the music world, serving on the board of the Anchorage Folk Festival for three years, producing their television announcements.
The Masonic Lodge was an important part of Bob's life, being a past master of Anchorage Lodge #17, grand lecturer for the Grand Lodge of Alaska, and a member of Bellingham Bay #44.
In 1987, Bob, with partner and survivor, Kathy Cervantes, became co-owner of C&M Used Books.
Other survivors include daughter Diane Trujillo of Leadville, Colo.; son, David of Seubersdorf, Germany; son, Dennis and daughter, Darlene Bergner, and their mother, Marie, all of Bellingham; sister, Karen Hamer of Mission, British Columbia; eight grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Funeral arrangements are with Evergreen Memorial Chapel.
Published in adn.com from April 21 to April 22, 2010