Hansford Eugene Arnold of died on April 21, 2026. He was 86 years old. Everyone called him Gene. His passing was peaceful. The town of Hillsville, Virginia, and the wider Carroll County area now mark the loss of a man who served his country, loved his family, and found peace near water.
Gene was born in Marion, Virginia, on February 2, 1940. His parents were Randall Eugene Arnold and Nannie Belle Hawkins Arnold. Both died before him. He grew up in the mountainous landscape of Southwest Virginia. That terrain taught him early that nature demanded patience and offered quiet rewards. He never lost that lesson.
He joined the United States Army. He served honorably. Military life gave him discipline and a clear sense of duty. When he returned to civilian life, he did not talk much about his service. He simply carried its values with him. Fellow veterans remember him as someone who followed through and did not complain.
After the Army, Gene turned to fishing. That was not a casual pastime for him. It was a practice. He spent full days by the water, sometimes alone, sometimes with friends. He liked the silence. He liked the waiting. People who fished with him say he never seemed in a hurry. That patience showed up everywhere in his life, not just on the bank of a river.
His marriage to Lucille Atwell Arnold lasted 66 years. That number alone tells a story. They raised children together. Those children had children. And those children had children. Gene became a grandfather and a great grandfather. His home was not loud or flashy. It was stable. His family knew they could count on him.
The funeral will take place on Monday, April 27, 2026, at noon. The location is Lindsey Funeral Home. The Reverend Jeff Pickett will officiate. Before the service, from 11:00 a.m. to noon, the family will receive visitors. That hour is for handshakes, hugs, and quiet words. After the ceremony, American Legion Post 229 of Rural Retreat will conduct military graveside rites at Kimberlin Cemetery in Rural Retreat. There will be flags. There will be honor.
Gene leaves behind his wife, his children, his grandchildren, and his great grandchildren. What he also leaves is a model: a life where duty and gentleness coexisted, where a fishing pole was as important as a uniform, and where 66 years of marriage proved that love does not need to be loud to be real.