Vance E. Arnold

Vance E. Arnold, 54, passed away in his home on December 6, 2022. Born in Rockford, Illinois on June 8, 1968 son to Kenneth and Diane (Higgins) Arnold. A 1987 graduate of West High School Vance went on to join Teamsters Local 325 and worked with them for ten years. After, he worked for a few companies as a traffic and receiving manager before finding Aqua-Aerobic Systems Inc, working as their shipping and receiving manager until his passing. Vance was a well-loved and dedicated employee, in March of 2020 Vance found out he had cancer in his kidney, which subsequently spread to his lungs, and while fighting this battle he didn’t want to miss more work than he had to. He had an upcoming surgery he was looking forward to on a Friday, to remove more cancer, and had full intention to make it back to his team on Monday. His family and friends will miss his genuine smile, his ever-hopeful personality, and his kind eyes; they take solace in the fact that his last day was spent happy, hopeful, and that he didn’t suffer.

He will be missed by those who loved him most, his son Tyler Arnold; his parents Ken and Diane; his sister Christy (Chad) Fulton; his best friend and nephew, Christopher Fulton; his aunts and uncles Chuck and Sherrie Arnold, thank you for all the extra love and support you have shared with Vance, Jean (Rick) Clyseen, Jane (Mike) Moore, Ed Yarbrough, and Karen Schmoll; special thank you to Vance and Charlotte Arnold, and Shirley Jackson; numerous cousins, and a very special mention to Lance, and Danny, Vance’s lifelong friends. Vance is predeceased by his niece, Breanna; his maternal and paternal grandparents as well as his aunts and uncles Sharon Yarbrough, Winnie Dunn, Don Schmoll, Don and Ron Higgins, Jessica Higgins.

A celebration of Vance’s life will take place on Sunday, December 11, 2022 from 1:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m. at Fitzgerald Funeral Home & Crematory, 1860 S. Mulford Road, Rockford, Illinois 61108. A private family burial will take place at Willwood Burial Park. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, stjude.org. To send online condolences or share memories, please visit www.fitzgeraldfh.com