Lucy Arnold Willard

Mrs. Lucy Arnold Willard, age 101 of Atlanta, died peacefully at her residence on Monday, December 29, 2025 with her trusted caregiver of many years, Shirt Jacobs by her side. Mrs. Willard was born January 26, 1924, to the late John and Emma Hogan Arnold. Ms. Lucy, as many people affectionately called her, was the widow of the late Samuel L. Willard II. She was preceded in death by her siblings; Tully Arnold, Jake Arnold, Jewel Arnold Jones, Gladys Arnold Shepard, and Helen Arnold Chapman.

Mrs. Willard graduated from Cochran High School, Cochran, Ga; attended Georgia State University in Atlanta and received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the University of Arizona in Tuscon, Arizona. She worked at the downtown Atlanta Immigration Office; was an Eastern Airlines Stewardess; taught nursing at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland; and devoted herself to many years of philanthropic activities and volunteer work.

Mrs. Willard was a loyal friend who gave not only monetarily, but of herself. She was an honorary member of the Board of Trustees at the Tallulah Falls School in Tallulah Falls, Georgia, where she and her husband established a Perpetual Scholarship in her name. The Tallulah Falls School named the Lucy A. Willard Academic Complex in honor of her generosity and continued commitment to education. She established the Lucy Willard Nursing Scholarship sponsored by the Georgia Association for Nursing Inc; was a member of the Atlanta Women’s Club and served as president from 1994-1996 and a past president of the GFWC 5th District; was a member of the Atlanta Branch of the English Speaking Union, the Eastern Airline Silverliners, the DAR-Habersham Chapter, The Capital City Club, and a Memorial Member of the Cochran Women’s Club, Cochran, Georgia. Mrs. Willard was a member of the Second Ponce de Leon Baptist Church.

Mrs. Willard’s memory will be forever cherished by her nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews and their descendants, along with many friends and dedicated caregivers.

A visitation will be held on Saturday, January 10, 2026 from 5 to 7 pm at H.M. Patterson & Son-Oglethorpe Hill Chapel, 4550 Peachtree Rd NE, Atlanta. Funeral Service will be held on Sunday, January 11 at 2:00 pm at the Second Ponce de Leon Baptist Church, 2715 Peachtree Rd, NE, Atlanta. Private interment at Arlington Memorial Park, Sandy Springs, GA.

The family requests in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Second Ponce de Leon Baptist Church, 2715 Peachtree Rd, NE, Atlanta, GA 30305 or to the Mrs. Samuel L. Willard II Perpetual Scholarship at Tallulah Falls School, PO Box 10, Tallulah Falls, GA 30573.