William Bobby Arwood passed at 8:24pm on November 21, 2020.
He was 79 years old. Married Kaye Prince February 18, 1977.
Bob was born and raised in Greeneville, Tennessee, where his interest in God and the Bible, and passion for music grew with him. As the story goes, Bob fondly recalled curiously attending weekly gatherings with other neighborhood children to hear the Bible stories and demonstrations by Adventist Mr. Christianson each and every Sabbath. Over the years, he attended other churches but always felt dissatisfied by their deviance from the Bible and came right back to the Adventist Church. He also loved music as well. So much so, he told the story of stringing fishing wire around an old board he found in his backyard as a young boy creating his own first guitar. Music always made Bob very happy.
As a teen, he was loved by all. Even voted “most popular” his senior year at Greeneville High School in 1959. All throughout High School, Bob had his very own live television show where he sang and played the guitar each morning before going to school. He soon after joined the Army as most young men of that time did, spent a few years in Germany before being honorably discharged. Once he met the love of his life, Kaye, he began a career in contract construction work, and the two of them spent many years traveling the country in their RV home taking on contract jobs and singing duets together at Adventist Churches across the nation. Kaye would play the piano or organ and sing while Bob would play his guitar or harmonica and sing. Life was good.
Bob was known to many as a great man no matter what his title. To me, he was Grandpa; one of the funniest, sweetest, loving and caring men I have ever known who notably, always had a smile on his face. To others he was great grandpa, loving husband, loyal friend, dad, step-dad and much more. He lived life to the fullest, was always kind and gentle to others, and always prepared to help others in need. He and Kaye lived by their motto, “as long as we focus on Jesus, it will bring us closer together.”
Bob was preceded in death by his parents John Earl Arwood and Myma Kate
Lowe Arwood; his two brothers Jack and Lloyd Arwood; his step-daughter Kristy Renae Carnes; and his great grandson James Rumundo.
He was survived by his loving wife of 43 years, Kaye Evans Arwood; his step-daughter Cynthia Kaye Harkness; his son-in-law Gary Carnes; his 4 grandchildren and their spouses Christina Woodwick and Shane Woodwick, Melinda Harkness Hauser and Dr. Donald Hauser; Heather Carnes Kremenetsky and Sergei Kremenetsky; Michael Carnes and wife Rebecca Carnes; his 7 great grandsons and 1 great granddaughter Ian Hauser, Shane Hauser, Brett Hauser, Miles Hauser, Aiden William Hauser (named after his grandpa Bob), Nikolas Kremenetsky, Alexander Kremenetsky and Rachel Carnes.
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