Longtime Plymouth Township Trustee Kay Arnold Dies

Longtime Plymouth Township Trustee Kay A. Arnold, 76, was remembered Friday by her daughter as a “tough broad” and by others as an unflagging advocate for the township who quietly got things done.

Arnold, who was elected to a fifth term on the township’s Board of Trustees in 2012, died on Oct. 8 after an illness.

Becky Krupa, Arnold’s daughter, told Hometownlife.com that she tagged along with her other at political events at the age of 9, learning from her mother’s example. Among the lessons her mother taught her was to not get caught up in minutia, but to “sit back and look at the big picture.

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She also watched her mother “drag herself up by her bootstraps” and regain her confidence after divorcing her husband of 26 years.

“She really was tough,” Krupa said. “Once she figured it out ... she then took care of what needed taking care of.”

First elected to the Board of Trustees in 1992 and a member of the planning commission since 1996, “she bled Plymouth Township,” Supervisor Shannon Price told the newspaper.

“When you see Plymouth Township, you see Kay Arnold,” Price said. “Her influence on the community will be felt for a long time.”

Her accomplishments as an elected official include taking the lead projects such as the Ann Arbor Road corridor, Miller Park and bridges in the township park, said township Treasurer Ron Edwards. who called Arnold “a first-class lady” who always listened to residents’ concerns.

Arnold’s commitment and love for the township was second only to that of her family, said Township Clerk Nancy Conzelman, who called Arnold “an amazing example of strength and character.”

Arnold grew up in Columbus, OH, and attended Central Michigan University, according to her obituary on the Schrader-Howell Funeral Home website. She had been the business manager at Colonial Collision in Plymouth since 1983

Her community work also included two terms on the Plymouth Community Chamber of Commerce, and 12 years on the Community Financial Credit Union Board. She was active in Wayne County Republican politics.

Survivors include her husband, Tom; five children, Lee O. Arnold, Jayne A. (Robert) Jarvis, J. Bradley (Sherry Cummins) Arnold, Todd B. (Teresa) Arnold, and Becky K. Krupa; 11 grandchildren; 8 great-grandchildren; a brother-in-law, Grant Danskine; a sister-in-law, Helen Bradfute; and nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her sister, Barbara Danskine, and her brother, Air Force Master Sgt. Michael Bradfute.

Memorial contributions may be made to First Step of Plymouth, 44567 Pinetree Drive, Plymouth, MI, 48170.