Arthur D. Soundy, 90, of Grand Island, formerly of Minden and Lexington, died Thursday, April 1, 2010, at St. Francis Medical Center. Services will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at the Westminster United Presbyterian Church in Minden. The Rev. William Nottage-Tacey will officiate. Burial will be in the Minden Cemetery. Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday at the Layton-Craig Funeral Home in Minden.
Mr. Soundy was born Feb. 1, 1920, at Gothenburg, to Arthur and Olga (Widholm) Soundy.
Survivors of his immediate family include his wife, Patricia of Grand Island; a stepdaughter and her husband, Pam and James Palmer of Lincoln; two daughters, Susan Soundy Williams and her husband, Roger, of Nora, and Ann Atkins and her husband, Jerry, of Grand Island; three sons and daughters-in-law, Steven and Linda Soundy of Minden, Arthur John and Cathy Soundy of Hopewell, N.J., and Timothy and Elizabeth Soundy of Sioux Falls, S.D.; and 18 grandchildren. Also surviving are six great-grandchildren.
In 1924, Art moved to Minden, where he graduated from high school in 1938. He earned his bachelor of arts degree from Hastings College and his master's degree from Kearney State College.
Art was a veteran of World War lI (1942-1945), serving in the South Pacific and occupied Japan. He returned to Nebraska and started his long career as teacher, coach and administrator. His teaching career started in Springfield. While a high school coach and teacher in Farnam, he met and married Patricia Rowland.
In 1960, after six years teaching and coaching in Cozad, Art became principal of Pershing Elementary in Lexington, where he remained until his retirement in 1985.
He was active in Central Nebraska as an official at high school games and worked several decades throughout the Midwest as a crop adjustor. Throughout his school and working life, Art remained active in athletics. He was a good father and respected educator, who loved hunting and gardening.