Arnold Lyle Nebelsick joined his beloved wife Melissa for all eternity August 31, 2016.
Arnie was born September 14, 1945, in Sibley, Iowa, the second child of four born to Leonard A. and Lillian H. (nee Elsing) Nebelsick.
Arnie and his sisters have many fond memories of riding bikes, flying kites, swimming, Bible school across from the park, ice skating, sledding, playing Fox and Hounds in the moon-lit snow and visiting relatives’ Midwest farms in all seasons. We still like jigsaw puzzles.
Arnie graduated from Sibley Public High School in 1963 and earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Industrial Arts and Mathematics from Westmar College, LeMars, Iowa, in 1967. Working alongside his father he learned the construction business and developed fine woodworking skills.
Arnie taught industrial arts at Fairfield, Iowa, from 1967 to 1974. He had his own remodeling and repair business doing most of the work on weekends and during summer vacations. His teaching career was interrupted by service in the US Army. In December 1970 he graduated with honors from the US Army Medical Training Center, Fort Sam Houston Texas. He was stationed at hospitals in Missouri, Washington State and West Germany working as an operating room technician. He received The national Defense service medal and a Letter of Commendation. He was an expert marksman and had top scores in the Physical Combat Proficiency Test.
Upon returning home from the Army in 1972 he did two things: he obtained his pilot’s license and he discovered the love of his life, a beautiful dark eyed school librarian. She required very persistent pursuit, but Arnold and Melissa Bastian were married August 17, 1974. They worked hard and traveled the world together, visiting England, Turkey, Germany, Egypt, Alaska, and much of the continental United States.
Arnie worked for several companies in the lumber business from 1974 to retirement including Wickes, Western Red Cedar Association (CEO), and Edmund Allen. He developed an international reputation for his expertise and knowledge of all things relating to wood, forest products and exterior wood coatings. On occasion his services were required by the courts as an expert witness. He co-authored and published a number of technical documents, and was in his element teaching seminars for continuing education for professionals in the construction, retail and architectural fields. Arnie held many prestigious and responsible positions in his professional field, among them, on the Research Work Unit at the USDA Forest Products Laboratory / Madison Wisconsin:
Chairman-Joint Coatings/Forest Products Committee, Federation of Societies for Coatings Technology (Affiliated with USDA Forest Products Laboratory) 1998 to 2003
Chairman-Finishes Subcommittee Research Work Unit 4707, AF&PA Committee on Research and Evaluation 1998-2001, 2003-2008
Member-Joint Coatings/Forest Products Committee, Federation of Societies for Coatings Technology (Affiliated with USDA Forest Products Laboratory) 1998 to 2011
Arnie was meticulous, a perfectionist. He designed and built three of his own homes including the one he and Melissa shared for the last 25 years.
Arnie was very sensitive and tender hearted. He was a loving husband, son, brother, uncle, nephew, cousin, colleague and friend. He was preceded in death by his grandparents, his father, his mother, aunts and uncles, and his loving wife for 41 years, Melissa. He is survived by his sisters Audrey (Glenn) Rice, Yakima Washington, Ardyce (Jim) Conley, Huntington Woods Michigan, his niece Sherri (Brad) Peterson, Vancouver, WA, and several aunts, uncles and many cousins. We miss him beyond belief, but we know that he is forever with Melissa blessed by love that lasts beyond the grave. Godspeed, Brother!
Memorial Visitation will be held on Tuesday, September 13 from 9:30 a.m. until the time of service 10:00 a.m. at the Beidelman-Kunsch Funeral Homes & Crematory, 24021 Royal Worlington Dr., Naperville. Interment private.
In lieu of flowers memorials may be made in Arnie’s name to the American Heart Association or to your local Humane Society.
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