Mark Arnzen: I'll Guarantee, You
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Mark Arnzen I ll Guarantee You ll Like It a keepsake from Memoir for Me memoirforme com
Age can never catch up with a person who has already won the race of life Happy 70th birthday Dad Mark Love Melissa Mark Matt Carolee
Mark with son Mark in 1984 On his 70th birthday Mark Arnzen is surrounded by family and friends who love him deeply He s been blessed with three kids Melissa Mark and Matt and is happily remarried to a special woman named Carolee These family members have each experienced life with Mark in their own ways but all four agree on a few points He s always up to an adventure His saying always was I ll guarantee you ll like it remembers Melissa his eldest and only daughter Whether this involved swinging from a broom handle while listening to records in the basement jumping off expressway bridges into Norris Lake skiing in white out conditions or swinging across a revine and over the Ohio River childhood memories were far from ordinary for the Arnzen children Everything that my dad did with us carried an element of risk said Melissa She remembers a fateful trip she took with her dad to Atlantic City when she was only 10 We walked into a casino and suddenly alarms start going off I was tackled by security and dragged out of there 4
It didn t help that Melissa was insulted on the way out I had a short haircut and I heard them asking my dad Excuse me but how old is your son I m sure we went to Claire s Boutique to pick up some earrings after that Son Mark remembers a 1990 family photo adventure in Vail Colorado He wanted a picture at the top of the mountain and told us not to wear all our things that it would just be this quick trip So the whole family goes up to the top of the mountain no jackets no goggles and all of us a sudden a blizzard hits You couldn t see your hand a foot in front of your face The family made it down the mountain but not before they got the perfect picture to commemorate the occasion Matt remembers a 2011 Italian adventure that involved shopping for t shirts His dad decided to tour Florence wearing an American flag t shirt that he proudly purchased at a Walgreens back home for 4 99 He always had interesting wardrobe choices said Matt So of course he wanted to buy a t shirt in Italy Next thing I know he s got his shirt off and is walking through this open market trying on Italian t shirts When I looked up I saw at least 10 Italians staring and taking photos of this crazy American with no shirt on His dad was not easily impressed by what the market had to offer After all of this he didn t even buy a new t shirt Mark with son Matt in Florence Italy in 2011 5
River rafting in 2007 Married to Mark Carolee is inevitably a partner in crime for many of these adventures The two of us can really mess things up sometimes she said Thankfully they know how to laugh at their misfortunes Carolee remembers a 2007 river rafting expedition that happened early on in their relationship The two of them hardly listened to the guide s careful directions before setting off on their own along the Pine River I had just had rotator cuff surgery We get in the canoe and within the first half mile Mark lost his paddle The canoe started going into some bushes I saw it about to hit me in the head and used my one good arm to try and push it away Well I ended up hanging by a branch from one arm Mark was yelling at me to let go and I fell into the water After Carolee navigated a few of the rapids without the luxury of raft Mark was able to maneuver her back in to the boat only to realize they had no idea where they were going We didn t listen to any of the instructions We finally came in about an hour and a half behind the rest of our crew 6
Apparently the couple has a history of getting into trouble while out on the water In 2014 Carolee got her boat captain s license and wanted to take some friends out for a ride But she didn t want to just tool around the inland waterway I thought I was the cats meow now that I had my license I m going out on the ocean Mark insisted on going with which ended up being a very good thing We get out in the ocean and the motor quit said Carolee We had all these people stuck out on the boat The group found their way to land but it was a different island than planned This happened more than once to Mark and Carolee The second trip I got a navigation map and studied all the markers Halfway there we lost the map Again the boat found shore but not the island they planned to visit Life is always an adventure with Mark said Carolee Even the house they live in together brings its own adventures finding a snake in the family room and then discovering bats in the attic It s a 1906 historic home so there s constant maintenance But she loves it It s sturdy and stable just like Mark Even now in 2016 Mark still doesn t shy away from adventure For 70 he s still pretty active said his son Mark thinking about a recent hike his dad took with granddaughters Ava and Olivia They found the same rope that Melissa Mark and Matt used to swing on and promptly flew out across the Ohio River in just the same way they did 30 years ago With Ava Will and Maya 2012 Sledding with Ava in 2014 7
Mark with his kids in 1982 He s a good problem solver If Mark loves a good adventure he s also good at getting out of them My dad is good under pressure He s a fixer Anytime there s a problem that needs solving he s there said Matt All three kids agree that when they need advice they know where to turn Son Mark followed in his dad s footsteps practicing law He appreciates the opportunity to talk cases over with his dad He s got 40 years of litigation experience over 150 trials under his belt I ll call him all worked up and he ll give me advice in this calming voice I would go crazy without that reassuring tone A lifetime spent in the courtroom has given Mark Sr perspective that only comes from experience But his advice isn t limited to law Melissa appreciates talking to her dad about the challenges of adulthood You ask more questions from a peer level like how he handled buying a home or managing kids I m grateful for his advice Carolee also brought up her husband s knack for helping out He s very generous with his time to his friends and family If anyone needs anything he s there to help 8
Work hard play hard You don t survive four decades in law without learning a bit about hard work Mark Arnzen knows when it s time to buckle down and when it s time to let loose He has tried to instill this balance in his kids some more successfully than others My dad always taught us the value of hard work and to get the work done first something I did not always follow said Matt Work hard play hard The first part was lost on me sometimes Oftentimes hard work was taught through the consistent and thorough practice of athletics Matt had his dad as a baseball coach for the 8 years he played on the St Agnes team The two would spend hours out in the backyard playing catch or practicing in the batting cages He was harder on me than anyone else but it was cool to have your dad as coach It was tough but we always won Now Matt finds himself sounding much like his father as he coaches his daughter Kennedy in soccer or basketball I ll catch myself saying something to her and realize that I sound just like him Son Mark remembers similar lessons of hard work through baseball Before every game dad would pitch us buckets of tennis balls in the backyard Coach Mark with his team including son Matt in 1992 9
With son Matt in 1988 Some of this hard work was to overcome perceived physical deficiencies Nobody in our family is particularly tall said son Mark To improve as an athlete we had to do the work My dad taught us that if you work hard enough things will often work out in your favor Melissa learned that work doesn t always have to be chore He s always liked his job It was still work but not drudgery It taught me to find a job that makes me happy After work comes play which often involves time with friends on the golf course Carolee doubts Mark will ever retire He needs something to do He s still able to play golf three times a week but when there s not 20 of his friends around he struggles a bit He likes to stay busy 10
Keep your problems in perspective Melissa appreciates her dad s generosity even to complete strangers As a child I remember my dad telling me about a witness in one of his cases who was really poor and lived in a bad part of town My dad somehow found out this woman s address and walked into this scary part of town to deliver her a ham for Christmas I was just so impressed that he took the time to make a difference in someone s life like that And of course there were other stories just like that one That lesson of giving back has stayed with her It really taught me to go outside my comfort zone to go above and beyond the normal courtesy to help people Son Mark said talking things over with his dad helped him keep his problems in check When you think it s the end of the road it probably isn t He used to say if you have 10 problems today that are somehow wiped clean life wouldn t be much different You ll just have 10 new problems tomorrow But this wasn t meant to be pessimistic It taught me that you have to deal with what you ve got Matt realizes now that he and his siblings had many advantages growing up in a nice house with good schools and a loving family I ve learned from my dad to be grateful for what I have We were privileged kids and now we owe it to give back On a ski trip with Matt and Mark in 1988
Mark s grandkids Livy Eli Maya Will Kennedy Ava and Nathan 2016 He loves his grandkids After surviving the trials of parenting and instilling the important values of life to Melissa Mark and Matt Papa Mark can now sit back and enjoy his grandkids living out many of the same experiences Whether cheering on Kennedy at a basketball game hiking with Ava Olivia and Eli or walking to the local pizza and ice cream shop with Maya Will and Nathan Papa Mark enjoys every minute He thinks my kids are very sweet with their love said Melissa One day Will wouldn t take a lollipop from him unless he had one for Maya too My dad told me about this and it was really nice to hear it from him I ll encounter his friends and they ll say I heard what Will did the other day He s very proud of his grandkids Because of their close proximity Mark is often stopping by his son Mark s house often to see the grandkids We ll leave the door unlocked and my dad will say You really need to give me the alarm code I m quick to tell him You really need to learn how to knock Carolee s adult children Lance and Shawnee and their grandchildren Colt Addie and Libby also benefit from having Mark in their lives We just bought a house on Craig s Creek and we re about to buy a boat said Carolee We want to build memories for our grandchildren that they might not have otherwise 12
He is loved Carolee can attest to her husband Mark s popularity It seems no matter where they go they bump into someone he knows We can be in another city and we always run into people saying Hi Mark He has friends everywhere Carolee considers herself lucky for having met him I m grateful for his security and affection The stability of having a partner it was something I was not prepared for after living alone for so many years It still amazes me that we have this comfortable relationship God gave me a wonderful gift bringing Mark into my life I m truly blessed Mark s children have the same sense of gratitude He s always been there for me no matter what He s so supportive Truly a good dad said Matt I love him and appreciate him But he still needs to lose 10 lbs Melissa admits that her family may not express their love enough I think he knows I love him but it s good to get it out there Her brother Mark agrees I m grateful for the times my dad spent teaching me things he s learned professionally and personally over the past 70 years I love him and appreciate everything he s done for me my sister and brother and for his grandkids Perhaps the best way to sum up how everyone feels about their life with dad and husband Mark They liked it they guarantee Carolee and Mark in Italy 2010 13
Mark s family and closest friends were asked to share their thoughts and memories The responses were as diverse and unique as Mark himself I remember I knocked the motor off the boat driving recklessly back from an island I was trying to match Mark s reckless driving on the trip out The Mexicans had to come out and save us One of the other boats had a disgruntled driver who was going to kill me because of the long delay Mark decided if he attacked me Mark was going to jump up on his back This guy was huge and would have killed us both Greg Brauch p 14
I first met Mark attempting to tackle him as a running back in Jr League football in Ft Thomas when I was all of 4 10 tall and 90 pounds as he went on to hold the rushing record at the large parochial Cincinnati St Xavier High School for 20 years and I was the water boy Then playing basketball against him and his All American 6 3 cousin Bob who were part of the greatest 8th grade basketball team in the history of mankind and my St Catherine team had nobody over 5 9 We attended high school college and law school together Fondest memories St Xavier vs Piqua Catholic 1964 Catholic School Day at Coney Island in the orange Divco milk truck 1965 Daytona Beach 1967 Lake Como canoe across the river 1969 Mardi Gras 1970 ROTC 1969 72 law school graduation 1972 and mopeds through the hotel lobby in Nassau Bahamas 1989 Mickey Foellger I ve known Mark since the 6th grade when he and Tim and I played in Barney Buechter s basketball league When I moved to Fort Thomas for the 8th grade he and Effie Vorhees were the only people I knew The three of us along with Bob Arnzen and Louie Broghamer played on the St Thomas 8th grade championship basketball team When it came to basketball Mark never saw a shot he didn t like I spent many a weekend in Lexington with Mark and Mickey Foellger and Louie at the Creekside Apartments during Mark s law school years Memorable experiences too numerous to list We were in each other s weddings and have remained friends through the years I ve sought Mark s advice on numerous occasions over the years He s a great friend True Blue Solid as the oak They don t come any better Michael Kehoe 15
Tim and Mark vacationed with us in the summer time in Delphos Ohio and when we needed extra help at the concession stand they would be our extra employees They loved it they ate hot dogs ice cream bars popcorn and candy I soon learned that when supper time came they weren t hungry They too were enjoying what they were selling Another memory involved harvest time Mark thoroughly enjoyed being part of this as a city jig on the farm Green wagons came to our wheat bin with troughs of wheat grain coming down in the grainery building He thought this looked like fun so he crawled in there and fell down into the grain The farmers had to stop to pull him out I hope you have a great birthday Love Aunt Alice Arnzen 16
Mark Happy 70th birthday to a terrific cousin Growing up in Delphos and being 15 years younger many of my memories were through stories shared by my dad You were always very special to him He loved having you spend time with mom and him in Delphos during the summer after your dad his brother died He loved taking you to the park to play ball swim and hang out in the concession stand where he worked in the summer Dad being a basketball coach always recognized the stellar athletes so you became an instant favorite He loved that you chose to go to St Xavier where he also graduated from in 1945 when it was downtown Now as Jim and I live in Cincinnati we have had the pleasure to get to know you as adults We will always treasure the times when we met up with you while Dad was still living and now as we grow older together You will always stay young at heart as we get together at Indian Lake Cincinnati or Northern Kentucky May God continue to bless you will good health and continued happiness With love from your cousin Jeanne Arnzen Gulick 17
We met Mark in 1975 when we started Huff Realty We feel very honored to have over 40 years of wonderful memories Wishing Mark good health so he can continue billable hours until he is 80 and play golf until he is 90 We cherish all the many years of our wonderful friendship 18 Jim Bert
MarkHappy 70th Birthday Melissa likes to remind me about the time she drove you past my house shortly after she and I started dating She says My dad said Middy he s got a couch on his front porch You have to tell him this isn t the Westside he can t have a couch on his front porch Ever since then you have been providing me with your advice and wisdom whether or not it has been asked for You have raised a wonderful daughter who is smart generous and caring You have succeeded in your legal career For a St Xavier grad you have done pretty well Just think what you could have done with a degree from Elder or THE Ohio State University Mike
Grade School Mark moved next door at 42 Lockwood in the summer 1957 He was 10 I was 9 The first day we met I was shooting cherry bombs from my Mother s clothesline poles down into the woods in our bank yards He was impressed I was able to teach him how NOT to double dribble when we started to play basketball in my back yard He eventually had his own basketball goal and along with Kenny Meyer we had 3 courts in a row Sometime later your Dad had his tragic accident and you and your family stood up to it so bravely and well You Arnie and myself played on the 8th grade basketball team in the 6th 7th and 8th grades completing a 30 2 record in the 8th grade We also played a lot of baseball up at the Army Post in the summer watched by a bunch of guys getting Army physicals Little did we know that in a few years we would go thru the same process One summer morning after our 8th grade I was cooking hot dogs in your kitchen when a rap on the back door occurred Our camp in the woods had been discovered Your policeman neighbor Bill Vonstrow was there to interview us You know the rest Mrs Canfield called us a bunch of sheep I told my Dad I didn t lie steal or cheat but Summer before our 8th grade I looked out my bedroom window to spot Mike Kehoe in your back yard playing basketball That was the finishing touch we needed for our team As boys play sometimes arguments occur We had our first fist fight and it ended quickly with you victorious I could not believe it You were so quick Fight 2 ended with the same result still couldn t believe it Finally the 3rd fight ended the same way and I was finally a believer High School 1961 1965 St Thomas wasn t big enough for the 2 of us so you went to St X and it was a wise decision by your Mother We did have a walkie talkie strung up between our bedrooms over my driveway We played a lot of basketball up at the St Thomas church lot We had a lot of fun on Friday and sometimes Saturday at the Canteen up at Highlands High School Watched a lot of football there also Remember Catholic School Days at Coney Island How about our experiences at Driftwood and Tri City Yacht Club Double dating with Patti Fye and Judy Murphy when you were driving my Mom s car and you wrecked the car I initially took the rap but when my Mom found out about it the story was reversed You had the 2 best summer jobs of all time the lifeguard job at Newport Shopping Center in the middle of the parking lot and the construction job on the apartment buildings down Southgate way off of US Highway 27 You made 2 00 an hour and purchased your first car Remember the Clover Leaf milk truck Remember Janice Mason 20
College 1965 1969 Your exploratory trips to Lexington and UK The quick little fight on Rose Lane where you tackled the dude got him on the ground and the rest is history Your try out for the XU freshman football team Your Geometry success was that at XU or St X The Ft Wayne trip to watch Arnie play against Indiana He scored 26 points in defeat It was the Eddie Yurick sponsored trip The XU dance at Music Hall Topper Club with Jay and the Americans The UK adventure when you Arnie and I visited the Delta Delta Delta Soriority looking for Joanne and we ended up wrestling on their living room floor The Skippy Hicks wedding in Corbin Williamsburg when the question Who gives the bride away became famous Law School 1969 1972 The Creekside experience You Mickey and Rick Gurren got started for the 1st semester Rick goes to the Navy and vacates for 2nd semester I show up then having completed my undergraduate studies at my beloved UK With Rick gone I steal his girlfriend Patti Kelly Bank Examining gets me 8 027 per year and we all get color TV New York Strips and Chocolate Eclairs most of which were eaten still partially frozen Your relentless pursuit of your law studies After about 2 weeks into the semester you selectively chose your parties because you were so consistent and dedicated to getting your school work together You did a hell of a job and it paid enormous dividends You were da Man Working Career After Graduation You were my best man at my wedding I was a member of your wedding party Things got different Kids came wives did their thing I remember watching Mattie play in the state championship game against Louisville St X at Georgetown in soccer The Ole Fort Pub was born You have provided Pat Kevin and myself excellent legal and otherwise council You are the go to guy for practically everything You gave me the opportunity to get on the Casino Ride in Mississippi and provide temporary lodging at your Carriage House The forming of the Mimosa Club in 1983 has led to a lot of adventures Houston Woods Lake Cumberland Mexico Dominican Republic couple cruises and we still have money left I trust you remember why we formed da Club There is more to come Mostly I am grateful for your friendship You are as good a man as I know and I rank you tied for 3rd on my list of male friends only behind God and my Dad Happy 70th birthday Lou Broghamer 21
I first met Mark in the early 1980s and have been friends ever since I m writing this while sitting at his condominium in Florida Greatest memories are the many vacations with him Some of my favorite memories largely due to his competitive nature and his quick wit have been on the golf course Love the guy and wish him well in his 70s Mike Obrien Happy Birthday Mark On your 70th we are thinking of you and the many great times we ve shared We ve been travel companions for over 30 years May we continue for the next 30 Mary Ewbank Mark You ve always have been my Go To trusted friend and colleague in both personal and professional matters Met Mark in the early 80 s at the time the Mimosa Club was formed My favorite memories include the Dot Game in Golf The day Mickey made the Arnzens drop to their knees at the Highland Country Club The Mariachi Band two guys we met on the bus in Mexico Mark hired to come to our hotel led a conga line thru the lobby The Razzle Dazzle game in Dominican Republic was a learning experience Bob Ewbank 22
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Mark Thank you for all you ve done for my folks over the years You ve been there for issues large and small It truly is appreciated more than you know I hope you have a wonderful 70th and enjoy many more healthy happy years to come Sincerely Cousin Mary and Hubby Rick 24
Dear Mark HAPPY 70th BDAY You re the first grandchild and the first nephew of our Harry and Mary Arnzen clan That s a seat of honor you ve filled respectably over the years Now you re the patriarch I know you mostly through hearing Dad talk about you over the years He was very proud to be your Godfather You must have seemed like a Christmas present his first year as a UD student MANY times we heard the story about his Christmas Eve job entertaining you and Tim while the others secretly put up the Christmas tree that would show up just in time for Santa to arrive Many times I heard the story of you making a New Jersey little league baseball team a year early I remember him taking a road trip or two to watch you play high school football I loved the story of him running into you at the Ft Wayne Coliseum when both of you were there to watch Cousin Bob play for the Pacers It pained Dad that your father was taken from you at such a young age He so loved and respected his big brother Bill and was sad there was much you didn t know about him didn t get to experience with him Dad thought the WORLD of your mother always had her on a pedestal Dad loved the summer times you and Tim spent in Delphos at the park with the pool and ball fields and at the Beining farm He said those special times stopped soon after you arrived one summer with long hair and he told you about it My only early memory of you and Tim was being called Eleanor instead of Elaine That used to make me FURIOUS and the more I overreacted the more you laid it on Ah how glad I was not to have big brothers of my own Dad was proud of the man you became He appreciated that you dutifully attended most family events from weddings to funerals to reunions He was touched that you and your son Mark made a trip to Delphos for what ended up one of the last high school basketball games that he coached He loved spending time with the two of you afterwards simply shooting baskets in the driveway Then you brought your mom up for his retirement ceremony Maybe what he enjoyed most were the random phone calls thereafter He so appreciated your concern while he was being treated for prostate cancer He was in awe of the huge juicer you sent him complete with recipes said to help keep the disease at bay HE KNEW YOU CARED So here s to making more family memories and to focusing on what REALLY counts YOU were born with into that leadership job and you ve been serving admirably Thank you and HAPPY BIRTHDAY Your cousin Elaine 25
Memories Flipping quarters camp in woods on Lockwood Norris Lake jet skis golf carts the Arnie s year egg sandwiches in the car on the way to St X Dick Hehman Bob Brewster s green Chevy 5th grade soda can 8th grade Sister Agnita and The All American Boy hide and seek on West Villa mass big breakfast before afternoon football games your green Chevy and your hero and mentor Louis s influence RLA Canteen Hilton Head vacation picture with two girl you thought Mexican dancers RV trip to Tennessee playing guitar on stage in both Florida Mexico Guantanamera evenings at The Pub January vacations in your condo Cheeze Burger toga NYE parties dinner at Rosemary Ed s Arnzen family reunions Keeneland Snook Inn Stans GROPING JGA Just a few of the many great memories Looking forward to a lot more Happy 70th birthday Bob Joanne
27
Well what can you say about big bro Well big brother I guess now s my chance to tell you what I really think about all the grief you gave me growing up under your brutal domain But I think I ll give you a pass on that since you turned out to be more of a blessing than I anticipated early on I don t have any idea what it would be like having a sister around but I wouldn t trade either of my brothers for nothing The middle child Tim Arnzen 28
Happy birthday from the Harry Arnzen gang I d remark about how ancient you are but then I d have to say the same for myself so I won t Time really does fly or so it seems when we look back My earliest memory of you is of you wrestling Tim on your basement floor in your Easter outfits ties included It seems your parents accepted this as a normal occurrence evidenced by Santa bringing you guys boxing gloves for Christmas to minimize permanent brain damage Due to circumstances beyond our control we didn t get to see Aunt Rose and you boys as much as we would have liked over the years There are some high school college years with our mutual friends that are not for public consumption so shall not be mentioned here I speak for my younger sibs when I say that they ve really enjoyed getting to know you better in recent years while hanging out at Indian Lake We re all looking forward to next year Besides being our go to guy for our legal woes you ve been a great role model for our many younger cousins We appreciate your guidance and friendship and we re very proud to count you as family We hope you enjoy your big day 70 is just a number Love ya Sandy Susie Patti Steve Bill Tom et al 29
