Pattie Boothe Arnold

Pattie Boothe Arnold passed peacefully at the grand age of 96 years old in Edmond, Oklahoma. She was born in Cordell, Oklahoma on April 2, 1929, to Edwin Claude Boothe and Alma Bernice Boothe (Lowber). She is preceded in death by her beloved husband, James “Jim” Kerley Arnold; her older brother Wayne Claude Boothe; and his wife Mary Lee Boothe (Stafford).

Her early life was spent on the family farm, where she helped with daily chores like bringing in firewood for the cook stove, gathering eggs from the chickens, and assisting her mother with cleaning and dishes. The farm was always home to at least twenty cats, and she fondly recalled, “Mom would let me pick one cat and bring it in the house as a special cat.” This marked the beginning of a lifelong devotion to her feline companions, a love that followed her throughout her life. When not tending to farm life, Pattie spent her weekends at the movies or listening to radio programs. By middle school, she was playing on the basketball team and talented enough to substitute in high school games. She was also a member of the school band and was already developing her deep love for singing. In 1947, Pattie graduated as Valedictorian of Cordell High School.

She attended Oklahoma A&M (OSU), living in Willard Hall and what is now known as Stout Hall, where she famously smuggled a yellow, long-haired cat named Taffy back to the family farm. She graduated in 1951 with a Bachelor of Music Education degree, majoring in Voice. She later earned a Master of Music Education degree from the University of Oklahoma School of Music in 1958. During her years in Stillwater and Norman, Pattie sang with the Opera, Glee, and Symphonic clubs while directing multiple choirs across Oklahoma, who proudly won superior contest ratings.

Pattie started dating Jim Arnold during his senior year at Oklahoma Baptist University. After his graduation and while stationed in Pensacola, Florida, Jim called Pattie just before Thanksgiving in 1958 to ask for her hand in marriage. She promptly flew to him, and they were married days later on November 26, 1958. Together they welcomed two sons, Bruce and Kevin, born two years apart.

In the spring of 1963, only months after the birth of her second son, Pattie was asked to substitute a course at the University of Oklahoma. After completing the semester, the family moved briefly to Sulphur Springs, Texas, before returning to Oklahoma and settling in Midwest City. In 1967, Pattie began directing the Mid-Del Singers, a women’s choir she led for 27 years. The group performed PTA meetings, civic clubs, and United States Air Force functions at Tinker Air Force Base and was invited to sing at the Oklahoma State Capitol for Governor David Hall. Pattie famously quipped, “We are not doing any more concerts until after Christmas unless the governor calls!” By the mid-1970s, First Southern Baptist Church in Del City recruited Pattie to direct five handbell choirs and lead numerous handbell workshops. Her musical career also took her abroad, performing across Germany, Austria and Paris. She sang in the second largest Baptist church in Paris and had the rare honor of performing in the Notre Dame Cathedral.

As her sons grew older, Pattie returned to another lifelong passion—photography, where she once converted her parents’ garage into a temporary dark room as a young girl. She enrolled in a photography course at Rose State after her boys left for college. Jim eventually built a darkroom addition onto their home. Pattie’s love of photography consequently meant she was often found behind the camera instead of in photos herself. Her favorite adventure was a 1989 photographic safari in Kenya, Africa, which she beautifully documented. She also traveled to England with her daughter-in-law, Shari, staying in bed and breakfasts, photographing the countryside, and enjoying a performance of the musical, Cats, in London.

Though Pattie retired from directing in 1993, she never stopped sharing her passions for music, handbells, photography, and especially cats. She bore witness to the sweeping changes of the 20th and 21st centuries with resolve and conviction. Strong-willed, ambitious, and unapologetically determined, Pattie was a force to be reckoned with; never one to be deterred once her mind was made up.

Pattie is survived by her two sons: James Bruce Arnold and his wife Shari Seibert Arnold, parents of Kaitlin Sadellia Nguyen (married to Nathan Toan Nguyen), Samantha Belle Arnold, and Kiersten Amelia Arnold; and Kevin Boothe Arnold, father of Caleb Patrick Orion Arnold (married to Sydney Mae Arnold (Herren)), Bonnie Danielle Kristine Arnold, and Quinn Alex Hunter Arnold along with her devoted Siamese cat, Skye Blue.

A memorial service will be held at Bill Eisenhour Funeral Home At Sunny Lane Cemetery, located at 4000 SE 29th Street, Del City, OK 73115, United States. The service is scheduled for February 7, 2026, at 2:00 pm.