James H. Arthur, M.D.
May 10, 1925 ~ January 30, 2019
James H. Arthur, 93, of Centennial, CO died gently following a brief illness at his home at Holly Creek Retirement Community on January 30 with his wife and 4 children at his side.
Funeral services will be held at St. Gabriel the Archangel Episcopal Church in Cherry Hills Village on Saturday, March 23rd at 1:00 pm with Father Chris Ditzenberger officiating. Burial will follow at Fairmount Cemetery with arrangements by Bullock Mortuary.
Jim was born in Akron, OH to William and Sara Arthur in 1925 and grew up with his brother, Bill, in Meadville, PA. After graduating from Culver Military Academy in 1942, he attended Officer’s Training School and then enlisted in the Army. As a veteran of WWII, he served in Europe and was honorably discharged as Captain, Field Artillery. Following his graduation from Cornell University, he courted and married fellow Meadville resident, Jean Russell in 1951. He then pursued his medical degree at Cornell Medical School, graduating in 1954, whereupon he and his family, by then of 5, moved to Denver where he opened a pediatric office. He practiced medicine in Denver from 1958 to 1991 and taught at CU School of Medicine in the Child Health Associate Program from 1990 to 1999. He received the Colorado Diabetes Association Distinguished Service Award for leadership and service for his seminal role in the development of Denver’s summer camp program for juvenile diabetes in 1965 and the CU School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics Career Teaching Scholar Award in 1996. He was also a Clinical Professor Emeritus in the Department of Pediatrics at the CU School of Medicine.
In addition to family, pediatrics and gardening, one of his great loves in life was rowing in an 8-man shell. From 1993 to 2003 he and his friend, Charles von Wrangell, reconvened their crew team from Culver Military Academy, all of whom had survived their service in WWII, to race again. In 2000, the team found their way into the Guinness Book of World Records following a race at Henley for which they were listed as the longest surviving intact eight-oared crew with an average age of 70 in the 1994 US Masters National Championships.
Jim is survived by his second wife, Mary; his children: Wally and his fiancé, Jacci; Mary and her husband Rob; Jake and his wife, Julie; and Liz; grandchildren Zach, Sam, Olivia, Lucy, Sara, Paige, Troy and Kestrel.
Jim is preceded in death by his oldest son, Charley and his first wife, Jean.
Memorials may be given to the Alzheimer’s Association and St. Gabriel the Archangel Episcopal Church in Cherry Hills Village. The family of Dr. Jim Arthur wishes to extend our sincere thanks to all of those who looked after Jim in his later years, and all of his acquaintances and friends who shared love, laughter, and wisdom with him throughout his life.
I extend my sincere sympathy to Dr. Arthur's family. I was fortunate to meet Dr. Arthur at Holly Creek when I was the coordinator of the Family Council. I enjoyed visiting with him and appreciated his sincere interest in the Family Council discussions, as he always had Mary's best interest in mind.
He is greatly missed at Holly Creek by both staff and family members.
I hope the fact that he lived a full life and that he graciously touched many lives brings comfort to his family.
Thank you to Dr. Arthur for the professional care he provided to our children in their formative years. from: The Bisgard Family
The care that Dr. Arthur provided to our three children will be forever appreciated. We extend our sincere sympathy to his family. Godspeed Dr. Arthur,
David and Kathy Irvine and family