Arnie John Riisen

Peacefully passed at the age of 81 on October 16, 2023, at his home in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. He is preceded in death by his mother, Irina Torop of Vineland, New Jersey, Lembit Riisen of Elva, Estonia, and his sister Siiri Fenix. Arnie is survived by his wife Mary and his family: daughter Mary Donovan and her husband Thomas, son Robert Riisen and his wife Mary, daughter Elizabeth Riisen, and son Michael Riisen and his wife Amanda; brother Andres Torop and wife Andrea; grandchildren Maureen, Connor, Taylor, Erin, Amanda, Cooper, Ryan, Owen, and Zackary; great-grandchildren Aria and Sophia.

Arnie was born on June 24, 1942 in Tartu, Estonia to Irina and Lembit Riisen. His mother Irina, his sister Siiri, and he, along with his grandmother, Alice, and three of her daughters (Imbi, Aune, Laina), escaped Estonia when the Soviets returned in 1944 after the Germans retreated during World War II. After living in a camp of Estonian refugees in Augsburg, Germany (late part of WWII), Arnie, mother, and sister emigrated to the United States in 1950. Grandmother Alice and her daughters emigrated to Canada in 1949. After arriving and living in New York for several years, Arnie and his family moved to Vineland, New Jersey. He attended Vineland High School where he met his wife, Mary, who attended Sacred Heart High School. He was the star basketball player for his high school team and also played during his freshman year in college.

Arnie Riisen was a serious hokie fan; he graduated from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) in Electrical Engineering in 1966. He went on to earn a master's degree in systems engineering and operations research at the University of Pennsylvania in 1968. Arnie was a senior executive with an exceptional track record of success in business development and government relations services to the state and local governments across the entire United States. He was a consultant for high-end technology solutions and services at (SCT) Systems and Computer Technology Government Services (Malvern, PA), Northrupp Grumman IT (Herndon, VA), and ACS Solutions/Xerox (Fairfax, VA).

Arnie played a major role in the public sector of business development where he was able to provide leadership and expertise for his company’s domination of the local government information technology services market throughout different states. He participated in closing many public sector contracts, pioneered a number of on-site models, contributed to the development of standards and procedures in this field, partnered and led teams of people, and won several “Top Performer” as well as other awards.

Arnie was an extremely dedicated man, who took pride in everything he set out to do. He was proud to have served as a Technical Director, responsible for managing staff for all system development activities for city health and human service agencies. His work had a significant effect on many communities. Through city planning and management, as well as urban development, he forged partnerships and relationships with many important people all over the country; he affected the lives of people in the most positive ways. Arnie was a humble and kind man, and he was dedicated to making the world a better place with his innate gifts. He believed in humanity and peace, as well as, helping people achieve their dreams.

Arnie Riisen greatly loved his family; he was the most supportive parent and grandparent. He was truly our #1 fan for every activity! He enjoyed attending all the sporting events of his children and grandchildren: tennis, swimming, soccer, softball, baseball, basketball, football, track, and cross country. He had a knack for remembering the specific scores, times, dates, and play-by-plays. Arnie was a wealth of knowledge and could engage in conversations about anything with everyone. He placed the utmost importance on education and was an encouraging role model. Any person who met Arnie Riisen recognized the beauty, light, and harmony he created in the world.

A celebration of his life is scheduled for Monday, October 23, 2023, at St. Norbert Church, 6 Green Lawn Road, Paoli, Pa. 19355. The viewing is from 9:30-11:00 a.m. followed by mass at 11:00 a.m. All are welcome to attend and celebrate Arnie’s life. The family would like to thank friends and family for their continued love and support.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.AllevaFuneralHome.com for the Riisen family.