Arthur Mitchell (Spanky) McFarland |
| Posted 2018-08-04 by Judy Wight Branson |
| The Daily Courier, Prescott, Arizona Wednesday, May 30, 2018, page 5a Arthur. Butch. Spanky. A man with many names. Regardless of what you called him, one thing he was to all was a friend. If you met him before 1971, you probably knew him as Butch. After that and he was Spanky. The only person who called him Arthur was his mother, and that was reserved for moments when he was “up a creek without a paddle.” Spanky was born on March 31, 1947, in Prescott, Arizona. After high school, he enlisted in the Air Force, where he was promised he could become a jet mechanic. Strangely enough, that never happened. But they did give him the job of Fire Supression Specialist. After four years in the military (stationed in Bangor, Maine and Aguadilla, Puerto Rico), Butch returned to Arizona. This time to the Valley to attend school. Quickly realizing school wasn’t for him and searching for adventure, he applied with the Tempe Fire Department and accepted the job of a lifetime in October of 1971. It was then that was given the nickname Spanky. He spent his work life running into burning buildings and his after-work life offering his shoulder for the rest of the world to lean on, often while buying a round of beers. He was pretty much the closest thing the world had to a real-life superhero, except he wore cargo shorts and a fanny pack instead of a cape. Spanky loved to tell stories. You just never knew how much of them where true. As he always said, “A lie is as good as the truth as long as you can get someone to believe it.” He loved driving fast, Roy Orbison, Dukes in Waikiki, The Big Bang Theory, Flashlights, Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce and most of all he loved his God. Spanky met the love of his life, Kristi, and they were married in 1979. They had one daughter, Leah. And the three of them had many great adventures together. When Spanky left to meet Jesus face to face, he left behind his wife, Kristi; his daughter, Leah; his son-in-law, Dustin; his three grandchildren, Cannon, Briggs and Skylar; his brother, Bill; many amazing cousins, nieces and nephews, and so many friends. Spanky was killed when he rushed into a burning bar to save the last drop of Kilt Lifter. Or maybe not. We all know how he liked to tell stories. Join us to celebrate the life of an amazing man on Saturday, June 2, at 2 p.m., at King of Glory Lutheran Church in Tempe, Arizona. In lieu of flowers, we ask that donations be made to East Valley Learning Center. All three of his grandchildren attend EVLC and through their ministry and love have learned so much about the love of Jesus. Spanky spent countless hours at the Learning Center and looked forward to helping them improve their playground. East Valley Learning Center is a registered 501(c)3 and all donations are tax deductible. http://www.evlc.org Information provided by survivors. |
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