Richard Eldon Arnold (1915-2007)

My grandfather, Richard Eldon "Dick" Arnold (1915-2007) was one of the funniest people I have ever known. He was also a complete neat freak: we often referred to his house as the "museum," both because it was so clean and tidy and because of all of his magnificent paintings that he displayed on a rotating basis (see some of his paintings below in the slide show).

Born in Iowa, he married my grandmother Liz in 1942. There is a wonderful home movie from near the end of the war that features not only Dick but also Liz, Buck (Dick's brother), and my father Stevan Arnold. After the war, Liz and Dick had three other children: Chris, Tim, and Elissa.

There is also a low resolution version

When I was a child, Dick worked as a graphic artist for a newspaper in L.A., but I remember him mainly as an artist. I loved to go into his studio and see what he was painting. The studio looks onto my grandmother's magnificent garden and reminded me of a tree house.

Do you have any memories or funny stories about Dick that you would like to share? If so, post them below in the comments!