Arnold was born in New York City to Morris Singer and the former Rose Romm. He grew up on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, attending yeshiva as a boy and graduating from Haaren High School. He attended college in NYC while working full time. He moved to Brooklyn, where he met the love of his life, Francine Doff, in 1963. They raised their family in Edison, New Jersey, and retired to Hoover, Alabama in 2007.
He was a systems analyst in the early days of computing, an entrepreneur, and later in life he worked in municipal government in New Jersey. He devoted time to many civic and charitable organizations throughout his life and he modeled volunteerism and civic engagement for his children.
Arnold was known to anyone who attended public meetings in his adopted hometown of Hoover. He regularly attended meetings of the city council, the board of education, and various government committees. He stood for transparency in government, often advocated for the underrepresented and ran for city council in 2016. He worked with others to save the Hoover school buses. He was a lifelong learner and was especially devoted to the Hoover Public Library. He was selected for the 2020 – 2021 class of Leadership Hoover. He loved Hoover and always wanted it to improve and be the best city it could be.
In addition to the countless hours he spent volunteering for different organizations and events around Hoover, Arnold served as President of the ARC of Shelby County from 2014 to 2017 and as President of the Hoover Historical Society from 2017 to 2019.
Arnold loved to travel, and after they lived simply for most of their lives, he was thrilled to take Fran on “the trip of a lifetime” three times – first, to Australia and New Zealand; next, on a coast-to-coast cruise through the Panama Canal; and lastly, to spend the summer of 2019 in cool temperatures, overlooking the harbor in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Arnold was predeceased by his parents, Morris and Rose Singer and his sister, Frances Udlis. He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Francine Singer; his children Lisa Singer (Tim Davis) of Hoover and David (Ruth) Singer of Rocky Point, NY; and his grandchildren, Emma and Will Davis and Allison and Amanda Singer.
Due to the ongoing pandemic, there will be no visitation, and burial will be private. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Palliative and Comfort Care unit at University of Alabama at Birmingham, to Be A Blessing Birmingham, or to your favorite charitable organization.
UAB Center for Palliative and Supportive Care
UAB Department of Medicine Development
Center for Palliative and Supportive Care
1808 7th Avenue South, BDB 420F
Birmingham, AL 35294-0012
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