Memorial Mass
St. Thomas Catholic Church-
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Email Details
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919 E. Indiana Ave
Coeur d'Alene, ID 83814 -
A reception will follow at the parish hall
Pat Arney
March 3, 1927 — August 17, 2018
Pat Arney
Pat Wilson Arney, 91
Pat Wilson Arney died peacefully on Aug. 17, 2018, at the age of 91. He was preceded in death by his brothers, Robert and Clayton; his son Bobby and his beloved wife, Jo Marie.
He is survived by his five children, Susan Gage, Sally Arney, John (Amphai) Arney, Betsy (Dennis) Chamberlain and Cathy Jones; in addition to his seven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Pat was born Patrick William Wilson on March 3, 1927, to Ralph and Lillian (Coon) Wilson, at the family home at 943 Sherman Ave., in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. In April of 1935, his brother Robert died tragically in an auto accident while returning from a high school track meet in Spokane, Wash. Three months later in June, his father passed from complications of diabetes. His mother subsequently married J. Ward Arney, who adopted Pat.
Except for stints in the Navy and college, Pat was a lifelong resident of Coeur d’Alene. In high school he was active in sports, playing both football and basketball. Upon graduation in 1945, he immediately joined the Navy and served overseas in the South Pacific (including Guam, Saipan, Formosa and Okinawa) as a flight deck crew member on the USS Salerno Bay, an escort class aircraft carrier. His duty in the Navy was shortened with the end of World War II and he was discharged in July of 1946.
After the war Pat began his studies at the University of Washington, obtaining his bachelor of arts in zoology in 1950. He continued on in the U of W law school, obtaining his Juris Doctor degree in 1954. He then entered law practice with his step-father in the fall of 1954 and took over the firm in 1967 after J. Ward retired.
During his tenure as an attorney he served as the Kootenai County Prosecuting Attorney for four years between 1965 and 1969. He also served as the North Idaho Chairman of the Medical Malpractice Screening Panel for several years and was a member of the Idaho State Bar Grading Commission and graded a large number of bar exams over the years. Pat retired in 1990 at the age of 63, after 36 years of law practice. He stated that, “I thought it best to retire while I am still healthy and young at heart.”
In 1956 Pat married the love of his life, Jo Marie Cramer, after nearly a two-year courtship, and with that was gifted with her three small children. They went on to have three more children over the next several years. They were married for more than 52 wonderful years, raising their six children and creating many happy memories along the way. They enjoyed many years of boating on Lake Coeur d’Alene and the St. Joe River with their family and friends on “Arney’s Ark.”
In retirement they had many wonderful travels throughout the world including one several months-long trip on a cruise around the world. They also toured around the country and to Canada and Mexico in their Buick Roadmaster Estate. Sadly, he became Jo Marie’s main caregiver after she suffered from a massive stroke in January 2005 until her death in May 2009.
Pat was also very active in the community throughout his life. He was the first president of United Crusades of Kootenai County, later becoming the United Way. He was on the board of directors for the Coeur d’Alene Public Library and the Coeur d’Alene Homes. He was a long time member of the Lions Club and volunteered for many of their projects. He was also an exalted ruler and a lifetime member of the Elks Club. And he volunteered at the Kootenai Medical Center for many years.
One of Pat’s great passions was singing. He was a member of the Elks Club Choir, the St. Thomas Church Choir and a founding member of the Lake City Harmonizers. We will all miss his singing as he would sometimes unexpectedly break out in song at restaurants and family events.
In lieu of flowers, Pat requested donations either to the Kootenai Medical Center or the St. Thomas Catholic Church Building Fund.
A funeral Mass will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 25, 2018, at St. Thomas Catholic Church. A reception will follow at the parish hall.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Pat Arney, please visit our flower store.
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