Obituary of Rodney Leo Arnett

Rodney Leo Arnett, 77, of Fort Myers, FL, a beloved former resident passed away peacefully visiting family and friends, Sunday, March 17, 2024, in Carlinville, IL. Rodney was born August 24, 1946, in Carlinville, IL, a son of Charles Leo and Norma Lee Converse Arnett. Rodney graduated from Carlinville High School with the class of 1964. He married Rita Lippold, in 1966. Rodney was called home to heaven early Sunday morning. I’m sure he told the cook to go ahead and start the gravy, because he’d be arriving shortly. St Peter should look for a black pickup carrying a man in a button down plaid shirt, Levi jeans, and a wearing a worn out Cavalier Cartage hat. Rodney touched the lives of many, but his passions lie with his love of the transportation industry and agriculture. His favorite stock picks had 4 legs, he loved to “Deere” hunt at his favorite honey hole, Sloan Implement, and his gold was measured in bushels, not ounces. He, our mother, and our uncle Jerry, built their business from the ground up. They bought their first fertilizer spreader from Morris Stults. Then they started hauling their own lime, so they needed semis. Through the years they owned a school bus route, and continued to grow Lippold and Arnett Trucking Inc. into a multimillion dollar business with six locations; Carlinville, Springfield, Granite City, Decatur, Fort Smith, Arkansas, and Grand Prairie, Texas. He found joy in farming too. His favorite farm was “the garden spot of America” in the Greene County river bottoms. And in 1993, he never forgot the countless people from town that came to help save his land from the rising flood waters. He loved to push the limits. In his lifetime, he road mechanical bulls, bungee jumped, sky dived, snow skied, road in biplanes, and played softball. He pushed the limits in other ways too… as multiple times we remember being pulled over for speeding and then later run out of gas. We spent many Sundays dancing with he and mom to The Eagles and Bruce Springsteen. He is probably driving around heaven looking at their farm fields to see if they are ready to plant. And when he does, he will pull out his pocket knife, get on bended knee, and check the seed depth. If they don't give him a black truck to drive, stealing one would not be unheard of. Rodney was preceded in death by his father, Charles Leo Arnett, mother, Norma Lee Arnett, and son, Randy Arnett. Visitation will be held on Thursday, March 21, 2024, 4:00 to 7:00 pm at Ss Mary and Joseph Catholic Church, 2010 E. 1st St., Carlinville, IL. Funeral Services will be conducted at 10:00 am, Friday, March 22, 2024 at Ss Mary and Joseph Catholic Church, Carlinville, IL. Burial will follow in New Calvary Cemetery, Carlinville, IL. Rodney is survived by his wife, Rita Arnett of Fort Myers, FL, daughter, Jeana Arnett-Smith of Chatham, IL, daughter, Kelly (Robert) Passalacqua of Carlinville, IL, granddaughters; Paige Smith, Megan Passalacqua, and Victoria Smith, grandson, Devon Passalacqua, brother, Ross E Arnett of Hillview, IL, sisters; Coline Hill of Valparaiso, IN, and Laura Arnett of Godfrey, IL. Memorials may be made to Chesterfield Community Fish Fry. Please visit www.davisandersonfuneralhome.com to leave condolences or light a candle in his memory. Davis-Anderson Funeral Home, Carlinville, is in charge of arrangements.