Arnold Ernest Petsche

Arnold Ernest Petsche entered the Kingdom of Heaven and was reunited with his wife and the love of his life, Kathy at 3:55 AM Wednesday, September 27, 2017. He passed away peacefully after a short illness comforted by his immediate family.

A visitation for Arnold will be held Friday, September 29, 2017 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Moore Funeral Home, 1219 N. Davis Dr., Arlington, Texas 76012. A funeral service will occur Saturday, September 30, 2017 at 11:00 AM at Grace Lutheran Church , 210 W. Park Row Dr., Arlington, Texas. An entombment will occur at Moore Memorial Gardens, 1219 North Davis Drive, Arlington, Texas 76012.

In lieu of flowers please donate to: Internal Medicine Residency Program, Arnold Petsche Fund, at Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas 3500 Gaston Ave. Dallas, Texas 75246.

Arnold to his friends and Papa to his family was born in Cleveland, Ohio January 11, 1931 to immigrant parents Earnest and Julia Anne Petsche. He graduated from Cleveland High School in 1948 and from Ohio University in 1953 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. He met his wife to be Mary Katherine Anderson in 1951 and they were married in June 29, 1953. Their daughter, Susan Elizabeth, was born in Biloxi, Mississippi in 1954 son, Alan Ernest, in Indianapolis, Indiana in 1957, daughter, Julia Anne, in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1961 and son, John Arnold, in Arlington, in the great state of Texas, in 1967.

After college Arnold served for two years as a 1st Lieutenant in the Air Force where he headed up the maintenance program for aircraft electronics equipment called Skytech. After serving in the Air Force he was hired by the Garret Corporation, Air Supply Aero-Engineering Division as an engineer. Promotions from engineer to Branch Manager, to Plant Manager to Regional Manager resulted in many moves. Arnold and Kathy finally settled in Arlington, Texas in August 1966 and founded the A. E. Petsche Company, an aerospace wire and cable distribution business. Arnold developed a JIT, Just in Time, inventory delivery program for the Aerospace Industry. The JIT program was the backbone for the success of A.E. Petsche Co. In 1975, Arnold returned to college and completed the Harvard Business School OPM program in 1980.

The family business grew into an international company with 20 branches, more than 300 employees and over $200 million in sales before it was sold in 2009.

Arnold had a love for motorcycles, cars and all things mechanical. He crisscrossed the US and Europe many times on his BMW motorcycles. Three of his trips across Europe and the Italian Alps included his wife, Kathy, riding with him on the back of the bike.

Arnold’s passion for engineering, his profession, and caring for university students- - - “The next generation”, compelled him to establish The Arnold E. Petsche Center for Automotive Engineering at the University of Texas at Arlington, one of his proudest achievements.

A shrewd and caring businessman, a bright, inquisitive mind and gentle soul, Arnold’s legacy parallels his exceptional life.

Arnold was preceded in death by his wife, Mary Katherine; his daughter, Susan Elizabeth, and his son, John Arnold. He is survived by: son, Alan Petsche, and wife Bonnie, daughter, Julie Davidson, and husband Glenn; sister, Adeline Bolser; Fred Savage and wife Kristy; 11 grandchildren; many nephews, nieces and cousins. He is also survived by hundreds of individuals that many referred to as employees but he always called his family.