Milton Ray "Sonny" Arnold

Milton Ray “Sonny” Arnold was born December 11, 1944, in Sinton, Texas to Milton W. and Ruby R. Arnold. He passed away on Saturday, October 29, 2022. Sonny is survived by his wife Liz, who he met in 1977 at a District Extension training meeting in Crockett. They were married in 1979 and blessed with 43 years together.

Visitation with family and friends will be, Tuesday, November 22, 2022 at 10:00 a.m. with a memorial service celebrating Sonny’s life following at 11:00 a.m. at Memorial Funeral Chapel, 2901 S. Texas Ave. College Station, Texas 77845.

Sonny was a kind and loving father and grandfather to his two daughters and their families: Sarah Margaret Arnold (Puyallup, WA) and her sons Matthew Weston (Princeton, TX), Major Joshua Weston (USAF, Germany) and his wife Stephanie, and Garrett Weston (Arlington, VA). Meredith Ray Deemer and her sons Luke Ray and Alek Mankowski and daughter Ellie Deemer (Granbury, TX).

Sonny’s immediate surviving family also include his sister and brother-in-law, Sharon and Chip Weaver, brother and sister-in-law Mike and Patricia Arnold, brother Pat Arnold, and sister Jeri Arnold. Surviving nieces and nephews will recall special times spent with “Mr. Wonderful.”

Childhood and school years for Sonny were in Sinton. He was active in the Boy Scouts and earned many badges and became an Eagle Scout. He graduated from Sinton High School (1963) and left to attend Texas A&M University. He received a B.S. (1968) and an M.E (1977) in Agricultural from A&M. With degrees in agriculture, Sonny had a long and distinguished career with the Texas AgriLife Extension Service as County Agent in Houston, Trinity, Polk, and Nacogdoches counties. Careers eventually led Sonny and Liz to the DFW metroplex and by the time of Sonny’s first retirement in 2002, he had been the Extension Director for Dallas County for several years, one of only six positions in Texas at that time.

Not long after retirement and returning to Bryan-College Station, Sonny’s second career began in 2004. Shortly after arriving in Brazos County, Sonny was offered a position with Texas Parks and Wildlife where he worked with the Master Naturalist Program for several years, retiring for a second time in 2011.

Colleagues, friends, and family all describe Sonny differently but always favorably. He was kind, knowledgeable, agreeable, and low-key. He did not particularly like or seek the spotlight but was successful in his career as a leader and educator. He really loved working with farmers, ranchers, gardeners, and naturalists. He was diplomatic, and able to view varying sides and opinions and still get oppositions to work together successfully.

In his personal life Sonny enjoyed college football and preferred it to watching professional teams. He had season tickets to Aggie games long before his return to Brazos Co. and until recent years Sonny and Chip had great times together at Kyle Field. Over the years Sonny would occasionally reminisce about “hunting” with his uncles and cousins. In later years he and close friends would hunt in west Texas. Occasionally on these “hunting” trips their sons and grandsons would come along. The “life lessons” the younger generation experienced on those trips were most likely eye-openers! Sonny admitted to Liz, more than once, that he really didn’t care if he shot anything or not. He just enjoyed the trips, the tradition, and being outdoors with friends and family.

Sonny was keenly interested in Texas history as well as family history. He always looked forward to the family reunions held at Wellborn each year and discussing family genealogy. His knowledge of Texas history was impressive, and he always searched for old TEXANA books to add to his collection.

Sonny was agreeable to and enjoyed traveling. The Arnolds went on many road trips when he and his siblings were kids. On childhood trips, at each tourist attraction, Sonny had his picture taken on every taxidermy animal you can imagine! In the 80s three generations of the Arnolds gathered on South Padre for a memorable week at the beach. As kids got older, there were fishing trips with the guys. Tubing the Comal in New Braunfels and rafting on the Guadalupe were fun family getaways too. Sonny and Liz enjoyed traveling to other countries---if she planned the trip and the destination included a beach, Sonny was ready to go!

There are numerous stories to be told and re-told about Sonny; everyone who knew him will have one. Sonny enjoyed hearing a good tale too and could turn an ordinary event into an entertaining story through his interpretation and telling of it! He had a dry, subtle, wicked sense of humor and most would agree he was truly clever and fun to be with.

Sonny was much loved, and he will be missed every day.

If you wish to honor Sonny’s legacy, donations can be made to the Texas Master Naturalist Endowment @ https://masternaturalistendowment.org/steward/donate-now/

And as Sonny would say to us …. “Adios”