John Eldon Arndt

John (Jack) E. Arndt, 73, of Jacksonville, and formerly of Beaver Dam, WI, entered eternal life on May 7, 2025, after an 8-month struggle with a rare form of cancer.

He was born October 14, 1951, in Beaver Dam, the son of Eldon and Margaret Arndt and was baptized into the Christian faith on November 4, 1951. He graduated from Beaver Dam High School in 1969 and attended the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse for several years before starting a plumbing apprenticeship in Beaver Dam. Years later, after receiving his Journeyman and Master Plumber licenses, he founded Arndt Plumbing & Heating. His business served Beaver Dam and the Dodge County area for 30 years until Jack retired.

He married his high school sweetheart, Bonnie Lou Raymond, on May 26, 1973. They worked together in multiple small business ventures including Arndt Plumbing & Heating, real estate investments, and the development of the Remembrance Home Alzheimer’s facility in Beaver Dam, which they owned for many years.

Jack devoted his life to God, his family, and his work. He was known for his honesty, quick wit, and friendliness. He loved the outdoors, fishing, and living at his lake home. He had a passion for aviation and held a private pilot license for many years.

Jack was an active member of St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church in Beaver Dam. Upon retirement, he and Bonnie moved to Jacksonville, FL, where Jack served as an elder and usher at Bethlehem Lutheran Church. He said one of his greatest honors was to regularly assist the pastors in serving communion.

During retirement, Jack and Bonnie enjoyed traveling, especially a trip to Israel and the Holy Land, several Mediterranean cruises, and attending the 80th anniversary of the Normandy Landings of WW2.

Jack is survived by his wife of 52 years, Bonnie; daughters, Sheila Arndt of New Orleans; and Stephanie (Fremont) Latimer of St. John’s, FL; son, Shawn (Jen) Arndt, of The Woodlands, TX; grandchildren, Scarlett and Charlie Latimer, and James and Claire Arndt; brother Ron, of Beaver Dam; and sister Pat, of Wisconsin. He is also survived by Noah and Atom Boyer, New Orleans; and many friends in the Beaver Dam area and in Jacksonville. He was preceded in death by his parents and his mother-in-law and father-in-law Lyle and Dolores Raymond.

The funeral will be Saturday, May 24, 2025, at 11:00 am, Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Jacksonville Beach, FL, with inurnment in the church columbarium and a meal in fellowship hall. Memorials, if desired, may be made to Bethlehem Lutheran Church or to the charity of your choice.

A favorite Bible quotation that sustained Jack during his cancer illness was Job 19:25-27:

“For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another.” Jack is now living that reality, seeing God face to face.