Arnold R. Thode

Arnold R. Thode, 77, passed away Sunday, July 19, 2026 at the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics.

A Celebration of Life will be held Saturday, August 15, 2026, at Hickory Creek Event Center, beginning with a memorial service at 1:00 p.m., followed by a reception until 3:30 p.m. Cremation will take place at Trimble Crematory, Moline, Illinois, under the direction of Cremation Society of the Quad Cities. Memorials may be made to Kings Harvest Pet Rescue or any local animal shelter.

Arnold Richard Thode was born December 22, 1948, in Davenport, Iowa, the son of Arnold George and Loretta Bernice (Hotop) Thode. Weighing just two pounds at birth and arriving so quickly that he joked he was delivered in the elevator of the old St. Luke's Hospital, Arn seemed determined from his very first moments to make a memorable entrance into the world.

He graduated from Davenport Central High School in 1967 before earning a degree in Theater Arts from Carthage College in Kenosha, Wisconsin. On July 12, 1992, he married the love of his life, Charlene (Mundt) VanHoosier, at St. Mark Evangelical Lutheran Church in Davenport. Arn enjoyed lending his voice to the church choir for many years.

Education was both Arn's profession and his passion. Early in his career, he taught theater, speech, and debate. He later served as a recruiter for Marycrest College before spending many years as registrar at Scott Community College, where he retired. Throughout his life, he also worked for the Boy Scouts of America and American International College.

Retirement gave Arn more time to enjoy the things he loved most. He and Charlene bowled together in Monday and Friday night leagues, and he was especially proud of rolling a perfect 300 game. He rarely missed cheering on the Iowa Hawkeyes or the Green Bay Packers, enjoyed getting lost in a good book, and perfected the art of an afternoon nap in his favorite chair. Above all, nothing brought him greater happiness than spending time with his family, especially his grandchildren.

Arn is survived by his loving wife, Charlene Thode, of Davenport; three children, Matthew (Angie) VanHoosier of St. Louis, Missouri, Michelle (Nathan) Murray of Davenport, and Michael (Stephanie) VanHoosier, of Durant, Iowa; his pride and joy, grandchildren, Austin, Logan, Cheyenne, Savannah, Noah, Evan, Ethan, and Presley, Miles and Margaret, and Haiden and Karson; three sisters, Patricia Thode of Davenport, Sally (Robert) Borcherding of Springfield, Illinois, and Sue (Steve Cunningham) Nelson of Davenport; two nieces, Erica Cunningham and Trish (Aaron) Moore; his cherished bonus family, Jennifer and Jeremy Shaw and their sons, Alex and Peter, who affectionately knew him as "Pawqua"and many extended family members, in-laws, and good friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents; a sister in infancy, Nancy Lee Thode; and a nephew, Brent Borcherding.

Condolences may be shared at CremationQC.com.