William Edgar Arthur, age 93, died peacefully at home on May 14. Born January 13, 1929, in Grandview Heights, Ohio. Preceded in death by Mary Ann Grossman Arthur (2003) his wife of 50 years; parents Theron Adonis and Dema Wheaton and sister Marilyn Smith.
Survived by Diana G. Arthur, his wife of 16 years; sister Shirley Hatch and by children Ann Cook (Brian), Jane Roslovic, Geoff (Linda); and grandchildren, William and James Cook, Grace and Jack Roslovic, and Merrill and Adelaide Arthur.
Bill grew up in Grandview Heights, the youngest and only son in a family with two older sisters. His earliest jobs were as the Saturday Evening Post delivery boy and soda jerk (where he perfected a fabulous hot fudge sauce). Bill was an active student, vocalist, and athlete at Grandview HS, graduating in 1946. His dearest friends in the fraternity, the Rooks and FABOMA, developed his innate interest in rhetoric, debate, and the Socratic method. This was good preparation for his continued education at the Ohio State University where he majored in accounting, graduating in 1950. After a time with Ernst and Ernst in Cleveland, where he took up smoking to add gravitas to his boyish looks, he returned to the Ohio State University and earned his JD in 1953. While working the presidential election of 1952 for the board of elections, Bill would meet Mary Ann Grossman, a fellow overnight volunteer and a home economics major at OSU. She became his wife in 1954. Bill first took Mary Ann west to San Bernadino where he served the USAF in the JAG Corp for two years after law school.
On their return to Columbus Bill and Mary Ann raised their three children in Upper Arlington. He joined the growing law firm, Porter, Stanley, Treffinger and Platt in 1955. Bill instigated much of the expansion of the firm through organic growth and merger and became a name partner in 1972 of Porter, Wright, Morris and Arthur. Over his career, Bill served as chairman of the Executive Committee, the Directing Partners Committee, and the Business and Tax Department, and he served as counsel to the firm. Bill has served as an officer and/or director of a number of local corporations, and was formerly involved as general counsel for a number of startup enterprises and major organizations. In his work with entrepreneurial clients, Bill was involved in a wide range of interesting business opportunities in a variety of industries, probably the most well-known being the financing of the Ship of Gold salvage recovery of the 1857 sinking of the SS Central America. Bill was featured in a bestselling book by the same name.
Bill was a strong supporter of numerous Columbus and national organizations. In the 1980s, he was asked to serve on the Republican Senatorial Trust. Most important to him was his role on the Board of the Columbus Museum of Art where he served as chairman and was able to promote his and Mary Ann’s love of the visual arts. He also served on the Board of the Columbus Symphony. At the Fisher College of Business at the Ohio State University, he helped to create the Institute for Managing Services and served on the Dean’s Advisory Council. He also funded a scholarship for students to the Fisher School from Grove City and from Grandview Heights. In 1999, Bill and Mary Ann received the Gerlach Award for the Outstanding Development Volunteer in fundraising efforts at the Ohio State University.
In 1988, Bill and Mary Ann developed Stonegate Village, a small housing cluster of nine stone and stucco homes in his old home of Grandview Heights. Bill and Mary Ann followed their passions of travel, the arts, OSU football, the Jazz Arts Group, and their growing family of in-laws and grandchildren. After the passing of Mary Ann in 2003, Bill married Diana Gonser Witter in 2005. He and Diana had in common many friends and interests, including their integral involvement in First Community Church, where Bill served on the Governing Board. Bill and Diana moved to First Community Village in 2015. They never missed an OSU home game, Sunday services at First Community Church, Jazz Arts Group concerts, or a Crighton Club event. In 2010, Bill received the Grandview Heights High School Distinguished Alumni award.
Bill was always up for a great debate and trained his children and grandchildren at an early age in the challenges of discourse. He was charming, charismatic, and loved by most everyone who encountered him – unless he was on the opposite side of the table, where he could be a tough and creative negotiator. He will be remembered for his humor, intelligence, and kindness. Memories of Bill are most often accompanied by a smile or a laugh, tho’ his kids will tell you about his famous “evil eye” and scary tuck-ins. He will live on in our hearts in those memories and through his legacy.
Family will receive visitors on Sunday, May 22,, 2022 from 1:00 – 3:00pm at Scioto Country Club, 2196 Riverside Drive Columbus, 43221. A Celebration of his Life and Memorial Service will be held at 1:30 p.m. Monday, May 23, 2022 at First Community Church, 1320 Cambridge Blvd., Columbus.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a contribution in Bill’s memory to the First Community Church Foundation, 1320 Cambridge Blvd, Columbus, OH 43212 or to the Columbus Museum of Art, 480 E. Broad St., Columbus, OH, 43215. Please visit www.schoedinger.com to share memories and condolences. Funeral arrangements entrusted to SCHOEDINGER NORTHWEST.
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