Mrs. Polly Barbara Arikawa

Las Vegas, NV. She had endured a lifetime of physical pain and suffering. At age 89, Barbara born as Polly Fay Butler was the 7th child of Deanie and Wilder Butler born at home in Marysville, TN. Barbara’s two sisters (Peggy [Maggie] and Thelma) had good paying jobs in the 1930s and 1940s. Three of her four brothers served in WWII: Robert ([‘Wash’), served on a US Navy ship torpedoed in the Pacific; Eugene (‘Gene’), US Army, 3rd Army, survived combat in North Africa, Sicily, France, and Germany. William (Bill), Merchant Marines, made five trips across the Atlantic from NY to the UK. Brother James was too young. However, James volunteered for the US Army and survived the Korean War. Barbara was married to Coast Guardsman Henry Castin for 14 years and raised two children (Margie and Patrick (Pat); marriage ended in divorce. Barbara married US Navy/US Army/US Department of Energy contractor James Arikawa II for 46 years. While married to James, Barbara travelled around the US (Ft. Lewis, WA; Ft. Gordon, GA; Ft. Monmouth, NJ; Pt. Loma, CA) and Europe (West Germany three duty stations: Frankfurt, Heidelberg, and Landstuhl; Austria, Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg; East Germany [as Communist] and Yugoslavia [as Communist]). In 1996, Barbara visited Margie and Son-in-Law (Captain Eldred Folse at the time) at Yokoda Air Base, Tokyo, Japan. As a single mother, Barbara proudly raised two children: Margie and Patrick into their teen years. Both Margie and Pat are decent, law abiding, concerned American citizens. As stay-at-home mother, Margie has been a US Air Force dependent for over 25 years and raised three children (Anna Kastenbaum, Michael Folse, and Lauren Folse). Pat retired at the rank of Sergeant Major from the US Army after an exemplary tour of service in the 82nd Airborne, Fort Bragg, NC (now Fort Liberty). He held many responsible duty positions in the active US Army and continued to work tirelessly as a Department of Army Civilian (until retirement). He respectfully and honorably completed a combined active service with over 30 years. When Barbara was younger and ambulatory, she could be found participating in LDS relief society activities; participating in the International Poets Society meetings and events; or taking a variety of college courses for either work and pleasure. Her varied work scheduled never conflicted with her duties as a single parent: many times she was an Admin Assistant; a sales clerk in apparel shops in NJ and CA; diner waitress several times along the Jersey shore; private telephone exchange operator in NY, NJ, and Frankfurt, West Germany; hotel concierge and desk clerk at the Ambassador Arms Hotel, Abrams Complex, US Army, Frankfurt, West Germany; her exemplary background and several college courses helped her earn a State of California private investigator license; and she became a Washington State licensed Coordinator for Child Abuse. Barbara was a wise, decent, and very caring person who helped many people in need. Her presence, wisdom, and guidance will be missed by the LDS Sisters, her loving family, her pets, and her husband. In closing, we should celebrate that Barbara’s spirit is with God and that she is no longer enduring constant physical pain and agony.

A visitation for Polly will be held Monday, April 8, 2024 from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM at Palm Mortuary - Cheyenne, 7400 West Cheyenne Avenue, Las Vegas, NV 89129. A reception will occur Monday, April 8, 2024 from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM, 7400 West Cheyenne Avenue, Las Vegas, NV 89129. A funeral will occur Monday, April 8, 2024 from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM, 7400 West Cheyenne Avenue, Las Vegas, NV 89129. A graveside service will occur Tuesday, April 9, 2024 from 9:20 AM to 9:50 AM at Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery, 1900 Veterans Memorial Dr, Boulder City, NV 89005.