ames H.,Buddy, Arnold passed away May 30, 2008. He was born Dec. 7, 1922 in Rocky Mount, N. C. the son of the late Jacob Harbard Arnold and Bessie Lee Arnold. He graduated from Rocky Mount High School and the University of Richmond Executive Program. He was a lifelong employee of the railroad. He began working for the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad as a switchboard operator in 1941. In 1942 he married Carlette Brady. He served the United States Army during World War II from 1944 to 1946. Stationed overseas, he rose in the enlisted ranks from Private to Master Sergeant. Returning to Rocky Mount after the war, he went back to work for the Atlantic Coast Line as a telegraph operator. He was promoted to Dispatcher and then Chief Dispatcher. In 1951, he was transferred to Florence S. C. and became Trainmaster. He was transferred to Florida in 1957 where he worked as Trainmaster in Sanford for 1 year and as Assistant Superintendent and the Superintendent in Ocala for 11 years. While here, the ACL merged with the Seaboard Railroad and the Ocala district closed. He returned to Rocky Mount for two years as Assistant Superintendent and was sent to Jacksonville, Florida as Superintendent. He was then promoted to Assistant Vice President for the Seaboard Coast Line. He retired in 1982. After his retirement, Buddy and Carlette moved back to Rocky Mount to be near family.
He is preceded in death by his sister, Mavis Arnold Dunn, two brothers David Joel Arnold and Edsel Q. Arnold, and a grandson Stephen Lee Thomas.
He is survived by his wife Carlette Brady Arnold; his daughter, Beverly Jo Thomas and her husband Lee of Williston, Florida; his daughter, Carlette (Dusty) A. Anderson and her husband John of Vero Beach, Florida; his daughter Beezie A. Whitaker and her husband George of Rocky Mount, N. C.; and his daughter Chrysta A. Morgan and her husband Steve of Rocky Mount, N. C. He is also survived by his sister Geraldine A. Byrne and two brothers, Jacob L Arnold and Gene G. Arnold, all of Rocky Mount; 5 grandchildren, Grey M. Bryan of Coral Gables, Florida; Cameron D. Currie of Annapolis, Maryland; Ryan B. Thomas of Williston, Florida; J. Forbes Dixon of Winston Salem, N. C.; and Brady T. Keeter of Chapel Hill, N. C; and 5 great grandchildren.