Lt Van Arkel was the navigator on the B 29 City of Trenton in 1945
Obituary
Bernie and his twin sister, Margaret, were born at the family home on Grove Street in Haddonfield in January of 1920. The youngest children of Dutch immigrants, Bernie developed a life-long love of gardening from working beside his father in the vegetable garden.
After graduating from high school in Haddonfield, Bernie was given an opportunity to spend a post-graduate year at Westtown in 1937-38. That year helped him imagine a bigger future for himself, taught him how to work to create that future, and encouraged him to live his values. From chemistry experiments with the Colonel to dorm conversations with Lou Flaccus, he developed the curiosity, confidence and moral center that were hallmarks of his life.
During World War II, Bernie served as a navigator on a B-29 stationed on Guam in the Pacific. His flight crew contributed to understanding the use of the jet stream as a means of saving fuel on long flights. While he earned both an air medal and distinguished flying cross, the war had a profound impact on him, and he was most proud of the relief missions his crew flew after the war had ended.
After earning a degree in engineering from Haverford College, Bernie worked in the wire and cable industry, moving from research and development to sales to CEO before retiring in 1977. Working with color compounds for electrical insulation, he especially enjoyed the challenge of designing the R & D labs to help fine tune a product to solve a problem a company was having. In 1970, he was given the opportunity to travel to the Soviet Union with a group of business leaders.
Bernie and his wife Nancy raised three daughters, along with goats, chickens, horses, vegetables and grandchildren, during a very happy fifty years of marriage. Their home was filled with children, shrieking in the pool or racing to find the smallest or largest potato while Bernie dug with the pitchfork, or being tucked into bed for an overnight with Oma and Opa. Bernie shared his love of woodworking with each of his grandchildren, working in the shop together as he had done with his father. Summer vacations were often spent sailing for weeks at a time in the Chesapeake, and in later life, winters were spent fishing and boating on Man-o-war in the Bahamas.
After Nancy's death in 1994, a sweet condolence letter from his Westtown classmate, Esther Duke Pruett, led to an unexpected and wonderful ten year relationship and marriage.
In addition to his daughters, Gretchen Jacoski and Nancy van Arkel, sons in law, six grandchildren and eleven great grandchildren, Bernie leaves behind his dear companion, Nancy Donaldson. A memorial meeting in the manner of Friends will be held on May 21 at 11 AM in the auditorium at White Horse Village. All are welcome. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the van Arkel Scholarship Fund, Westtown School, 975 Westtown Road, West Chester, PA 19382.[1]
Bernard Arkel [Bernard Vanarkel] Birth Year: abt 1920 Gender: Male Race: White Birthplace: New Jersey Marital Status: Single Relation to Head of House: Son (Child) Home in 1930: Haddonfield, New Jersey Map of Home: View Map Street address: Grove St. House Number in Cities or Towns: 17 Dwelling Number: 23 Family Number: 23 Attended School: Yes Able to Read and Write: Yes Father's Birthplace: Holland Mother's Birthplace: Holland Able to Speak English: Yes Neighbors: View others on page Household Members: Name Age John H Van Arkel 51 Bernardina Van Arkel 45 Gerhard P Van Arkel 22 John L Van Arkel 20 Bernard Van Arkel 10 Margaret Van Arkel 10 Source Citation Year: 1930; Census Place: Haddonfield, Camden, New Jersey; Roll: 1324; Page: 2A; Enumeration District: 0137; Image: 293.0; FHL microfilm: 2341059
Name: Bernard Van Arhel Age: 20 Estimated birth year: abt 1920 Gender: Male Race: White Birthplace: New Jersey Marital Status: Single Relation to Head of House: Son Home in 1940: Haddonfield, Camden, New Jersey Map of Home in 1940: View Map Street: Grove Street House Number: 17 Inferred Residence in 1935: Haddonfield, Camden, New Jersey Residence in 1935: Same House Sheet Number: 61B Occupation: Checker Attended School or College: No Highest Grade Completed: College, 1st year Hours Worked Week Prior to Census: 48 Class of Worker: Wage or salary worker in private work Weeks Worked in 1939: 52 Income: 780 Income Other Sources: No Neighbors: View others on page Household Members: Name Age John H Van Arhel 61 Bernadina H Van Arhel 55 Bernard Van Arhel 20 Margaret Van Arhel 20 Source Citation Year: 1940; Census Place: Haddonfield, Camden, New Jersey; Roll: T627_2322; Page: 61B; Enumeration District: 4-72
Name: Bernard Van Arkel Estimated birth year: abt 1917 School: Haddonfield Memorial High School School Location: Haddonfield, New Jersey Year: 1937 Yearbook Title: Shield1937 Source Information Ancestry.com. U.S., School Yearbooks, 1880-2012
Name: Arkel Bernard Van Birth Year: 1920 Race: White, citizen (White) Nativity State or Country: New Jersey State of Residence: New Jersey County or City: Camden Enlistment Date: 21 Nov 1943 Enlistment State: Pennsylvania Enlistment City: New Cumberland Branch: Air Corps Branch Code: Air Corps Grade: Private Grade Code: Private Term of Enlistment: Enlistment for the duration of the War or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President or otherwise according to law Component: Reserves - exclusive of Regular Army Reserve and Officers of the Officers Reserve Corps on active duty under the Thomason Act (Officers and Enlisted Men -- O.R.C. and E.R.C., and Nurses-Reserve Status) Source: Enlisted Reserve or Medical Administrative Corps (MAC) Officer Education: 1 year of college Civil Occupation: Checkers Marital Status: Single, without dependents Height: 00 Weight: 000 Source Information National Archives and Records Administration. U.S. World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946
Birth Date: 8 Jan 1920 Address: 80 Palmers Mill Rd, Media, PA, 19063-1036 (1996) [RR 1, Great Meadows, NJ, 07838 (1978)] [PO Box 5, Great Meadows, NJ, 07838-0005 (1985)] [N Rader Rd 5, Great Meadows, NJ, 07838] Source Information U.S. Public Records Index, 1950-1993, Volume 1
Birth Date: 8 Jan 1920 Address: 1 Rader Rd, Great Meadows, NJ, 07838-2321 Source Information U.S. Public Records Index, 1950-1993, Volume 2
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Categories: 19th Bombardment Group (Very Heavy), United States Army Air Forces, World War II | B-29 Navigators | Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)