Patsy R. Arnold

Patsy Arnold, 58, of Grand Island, NE died peacefully on Friday, June 14, 2019, at Tiffany

Square in Grand Island.



A celebration of Patsy's life will be held at 11:00 a.m. Friday, June 21st at the Apfel Funeral Home in Grand Island. Derek Apfel, CFC will officiate.



The family will greet friends Thursday, June 20th from 5 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home.



Patsy Ruth (Chilcott) Arnold was born June 20, 1960 in Eureka, KS to John William and Ruth

Marlene (Swilley) Chilcott, the third of four children. She attended and graduated from Great

Bend High School in Great Bend, KS, and in 1982 graduated from Emporia State College in

Emporia, KS with a bachelor’s degree in Fashion Merchandising. Patsy was united in marriage

to Stan Arnold on April 6, 1985 in Great Bend, KS and from their union two children were born,

Tyler John in 1987 and Elizabeth Jane in 1991. Over the course of her career Patsy was head

of the Talking Books department in Great Bend, KS and subsequently, after taking time to be a

stay-at-home mom, Assistant Director of the Grand Island Public Library. In 2008 she received

her Master’s in Library Science from the University of Missouri.



On November 3, 2012, Patsy received a double lung transplant at UPMC in Pittsburgh, PA after

a long and arduous effort to be listed. Despite her scleroderma diagnosis in 2002 and

deteriorating health, she fought for almost a decade to prolong her life with two goals fueling her

- to see her daughter Elle get married and to read her granddaughter Memphis a book. She

accomplished both and lived 6 more happy, cherished, and fortuitous years. She was able to

indulge in her favorite pastime, spoiling Memphis; make Elle’s wedding dress; enjoy her second

favorite pastime, acting as designer and contractor to Stan’s laborer on their “money pits”; and

root for the Pirates and Steelers of Pittsburgh, where she received a new lease on life thanks to

her team of doctors and nurses at UPMC.



Patsy was preceded in death by her parents; her brother, John Bradford Chilcott (stillborn); and

her parents-in-law Ralph Compton Arnold and Laura Bell Arnold. She is survived by her

husband, Stan Arnold; son, Tyler Arnold; daughter, Elle Supencheck (Cameron);

granddaughter, Memphis Bohrer-Arnold; beloved canine, Touille; sisters Beth Chilcott and

Brenda Raven (Jason); sister-in-law, Jane Grandy and friend Phil Garcia; sister-in-law, Dru

Dougan (Derry); a circle of “stray” kids she adopted as her own, including Cassia McDowell, Katie

Bohrer, Kevin Fandry, Natalie Krupa, and Trevor Pottorff; as well as numerous admiring friends

and extended family.



In lieu of flowers donations are suggested to the Donate Life America organization at

www.donatelife.net/give-to-dla via online contribution or mail-in Contribution Form, or to the

Grand Island Public Library Foundation at giplf.org/donate



Online condolences may be directed to the family at www.apfelfuneralhome.com