WEST NEWBURY – The West Newbury Fire Department regretfully announces the passing of retired Assistant Chief Stephen “Steve” Arnold, who served the Department and Town with distinction for more than 50 years.
Assistant Chief Arnold died on Thursday, Dec. 29, 2021, after an illness. Assistant Chief Arnold grew up across from the Central Fire Station on Main Street, fostering a lifelong passion for fire services. He joined the Department at age 18, rising through the ranks to become Assistant Chief, and served on the Board of Fire Engineers.
Assistant Chief Arnold remained on active duty until 2009, and was a trusted and valuable resource for the Department long after he retired officially.
Assistant Chief Arnold excelled in all areas of fire service.
“He always had my back when I was chief. I never had to worry about anything,” said retired Fire Chief Raymond “Rock” Dower, who attended Pentucket High School at the same time as Assistant Chief Arnold, with whom he later became close friends. “If anything happened during the day, he could handle it. I’ll miss him as a firefighter and friend.”
Assistant Chief Arnold loved cigars, and was known within the fire service community for rating fires by the number of cigars he smoked while at a scene. A Lynn fire in 1981 was so large – destroying 17 buildings – that Assistant Chief Arnold ran out of cigars.
Assistant Chief Arnold’s funeral services will be held at the West Newbury Congregational Church, 308 Main St., West Newbury, on Friday, Jan. 7, at 11 a.m. A private burial ceremony will be held at Walnut Hill Cemetery in West Newbury in the spring.
The Arnold family and Department request that in lieu of flowers, donations be made in Assistant Chief Arnold’s memory to one of the following charities:
- Lahey Hospital & Medical Center (Please note that your gift should be directed to the support of Lahey’s Division of Nephrology)
- Tunnels to Towers Foundation