Barbra Ann Arnold

Barbra Ann (Golden) Arnold, 72, of East Thetford, VT died on Tuesday, September 1, 2020 at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center after a brief illness.

She was born in Plattsburgh, NY on May 15, 1948, the first child of the late Raymond and Janet (Rock) Golden.

Barb was among the earliest graduates of Beekmantown Central School, Class of 1966, which included primary years in a one-room schoolhouse on Jersey Swamp Road. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from CUNY Lehman College in 1974 and worked in the insurance industry before ¬settling down to country life in rural Vermont to care for her beloved animals, domestic and wild.

Barb is remembered for her fierce love of family and fun, her unwavering advocacy for the rights ¬¬of animals, and the fact that she always had a camera nearby to capture the moments that made life so special for her and those she loved. She never forgot a birthday, was devoted to researching ancestry and retelling family lore, especially the mischief she engineered with her eight siblings and many cousins. She brought laughter and light to the most ordinary and even somber of occasions. It is not an exaggeration to say that when Barb walked into a room it went from black and white to technicolor. No matter where she lived, “home” for Barb was always the North Country and she made frequent trips back. She loved the outdoors: her gardens, flowers and all of God’s creatures, down to the tiniest spider. She was golden, in every sense of the word.

She is survived by her husband of 22 years, Neal Arnold of East Thetford, VT; her son, Joshua (Larissa) Rosner of Danbury, CT and granddaughter, Olivia; two stepchildren, Wade and Whitney of Aiken, SC; eight siblings: Kenneth (Virginia) Golden of Valatie, NY, Patricia Colston of Ruther Glen, VA, Sheila Dooley and her partner John Crossett of Fairfax, VT, Diane Golden of Vancouver, WA, Carolyn (David) Bayne of Darien, CT, Edward (Yumi) Golden, Paul (Hope) Golden, and Barry (Jamel) Golden, all of Beekmantown, NY.

She is also survived by her aunts, Claire (Jim) Lafferty and Mildred Rock; an uncle, Clarence Golden; many cousins, a niece, fifteen nephews and their families. Finally, there was always a special place in Barb’s heart for Wendy (Tom) Kelly of Barnegat, NJ and their three beautiful daughters.

A celebration of Barb’s life will be held at St. James Church in Cadyville at 11 a.m. on Saturday, September 5, 2020.

In lieu of flowers, donations to save injured and orphaned wild animals may be made in Barb’s name to Wildlife in Crisis, www.wildlifeincrisis.org.
Arrangements are entrusted to Brown Funeral Home, 29 Broad Street, Plattsburgh, NY 12901. Online condolences may be offered at www.brownfuneralhomeinc.com.