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Mickey McArthur

June 22, 2011 By Administrator Leave a Comment


In Memory of Mickey McArthur


Mickey McArthur, one of our very first Board members of Save the Scenic Santa Ritas, passed away on April 6, 2009, in Tucson, from complications of a stroke. He was 81 years old.

Mickey was our secretary during the early years of SSSR, the land swap days. Although he had not been active with us in the last few years, we still saw him at events, and appreciated his continued support. He will be greatly missed.

From The Bulletin, April 15, 2009:

Mickey, born Marshall Earl McArthur, Jr., lived in Sonoita with his wife Karol. He was a proud graduate of Creighton Preparatory School in Omaha and Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, where he became a member of Sigma Nu Fraternity. He had many business interests in a long career. He worked in an oil business; pioneered the use of anhydrous ammonia as the most efficient and economical source of agricultural nitrogen; sold a wide variety of farm supplies; and was in the egg production business. Eventually, those businesses were sold and replaced by his main interest – the profitable production of corn and soybeans on his farm near Eldridge, Iowa.

Mickey established lifelong friendships everywhere he lived, from Omaha, Nebraska, to Davenport and Eldridge, Iowa, to South Laguna Beach, California, to Indian Wells, California, and finally to Sonoita. He established strong ties in each community, most recently with his involvement in and service as president of the board of Sonoita-Elgin Emergency Services Incorporated, which has since become the Sonoita-Elgin Fire District.

Mickey was a lover of the outdoors – an avid hunter, hiker and body surfer. He also loved western art and collected it over many years, serving on the Western Art Council of the Palm Springs Art Museum when he lived in Indian Wells, California. He particularly enjoyed his long association with Cheley Colorado Camps. He and his sisters were campers, as have been his children and grandchildren. He was also pleased to have played a role in the formation and success of the John Austin Cheley Foundation, which provides scholarships for children to attend summer camp.

Mickey was an engaging, gregarious person who loved to talk with and keep in touch with people. He was a stalwart member of a group of men who met every Wednesday for lunch in order to discuss the important issues of the day. Mickey had few frustrations in life, but those he did have included the following, in no particular order: garlic, onions, smoking, and political liberals. Above all, he was an enthusiastic optimist who believed that anything in life is possible.

A memorial service to celebrate Mickey’s life (was) held on April 17th, at 1 pm at the Sonoita-Elgin Fire Station. Additional services were held in Eldridge, Iowa, and Estes Park, Colorado.

Charitable donations in his memory may be made to the following: The Sonoita-Elgin Fire District, PO Box 322, Sonoita, AZ 85637-0322, the development of which has been his passion for the past 20 years; the North Scott Education Foundation, Box 16, Eldridge, IA 52748, which provides college scholarships to deserving students; or the John Austin Cheley Foundation, 10565 Centennial Drive, Alpharetta, GA 30022-708, which sends worthy children of modest means to summer camps.

Mickey is survived by his wife Karol, of Sonoita; his daughter, Mary and her husband, Rick Juarez, of Alamo, California, as well as their daughters, Lisa and Emily; and his son, Max McArthur of Arroyo Grande, California. The youngest child of Marshall and Dorothie McArthur, Mickey was born in Omaha, Nebraska on September 29, 1927. He is also survived by his sister, Betty Heller, of Dayton, Ohio, and brother-in-law, Dick Holland, of Omaha, Nebraska, and their children and grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Bess, who was the mother of his children; his sister, Mary Holland, of Omaha, Nebraska; and brother-in-law, Steve Heller, of Dayton, Ohio.

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