Arnold was born on March 11th, 1931 in Green Hill, Alabama to Duncan Bryan and Susie Jane Killen, the youngest of three children. Arnold, his older brother Howard, and sister Avis, grew up in rural northern Alabama during the Great Depression. Through his experiences growing up, he knew from an early age he wanted to be a doctor.
Arnold moved to Florence, Alabama to finish his high school degree in order to better prepare himself for college. He attended David Lipscomb College, now David Lipscomb University, and finished out his undergraduate studies at Vanderbilt University, and continued his postgraduate studies there, earning his M.D. in 1955. In 1956 he interned at Vanderbilt, and continued his residency as a thoracic surgeon.
In 1957 he married Lucy Bennett at the Hillsboro Church of Christ in Nashville, Tennessee. Two years later Susan was born, with Beth and Laura following in 1961 and 1965, respectively.
From 1961 to 1963 Arnold served in the US Army Medical Corp in Fort Belvoir, Virginia as a surgeon and was discharged as a captain. After his time in the army, he pursued a surgical residency under Denton Cooley at the Texas Heart Institute in Houston, Texas.
In 1972 he accepted the offer to go into private practice with Dr. William Reed at Saint Luke’s Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri. Together they started the cardiovascular bypass program at Saint Luke’s and founded the Mid-America Heart Institute. He practiced there until his retirement in 2000.
He loved traveling with his family, and sponsored many trips around the United States and internationally. He especially enjoyed exploring Europe through a number of vacations over the years.
While retired, he continued his lifelong love of learning, taking courses every semester at Johnson County Community College, with a special interest in mathematics--lessons that he would pass on to his grandchildren. He also enjoyed eating lunch at Panera Bread daily, and got to know the employees at the location he and Lucy frequented.
Arnold is survived by two of his daughters, Susan McKeever and husband, Kerry, and Laura Brock and husband, David; a son-in-law, Bill Shipley; eleven grandchildren: Chris McKeever, Katie McKeever, Kim McKeever, David Shipley, Rachel Fisk, Ben Shipley, Beth Jones, Sara Brock, Abby Houser, Rachel Brumfield, David D. Brock; and four great-grandchildren.
A graveside service will be held Tuesday, July 28th at 10:00 a.m. at Mount Moriah Cemetery South, 10507 Holmes Road, Kansas City, Missouri. Please wear a mask and social distance. This service will be Livestreamed: https://FB.com/MtMoriahNewcomer
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions go to the skilled nursing unit at Tallgrass Creek Assisted Living or the Kansas University Cancer Center.
