Jackie O. Arnold slipped away peacefully on September 18, 2026, in his lifelong home in Nell, Texas at the age of 80 years old.
Jackie lived a rich, full life, always evolving as life threw him new challenges. As a young man he was an outstanding athlete playing football, basketball, baseball and being a high school state qualifier in pole vaulting. He also was raised to be an avid hunter, who was known as an excellent shot.
He married the love of his life and high school sweetheart, Georgia Faye Haefling on July 23, 1966. They were both teaching school when his father died in 1969 and life took a turn when he took over his father’s land clearing business. He loved the land, saving the beautiful trees, shaping the rolling hillsides, and adding a stock pond because we always need water in South Texas. In 1971, he and Georgia brought home their only child, Lasca Alexandria, who was his second love.
In 1976, he suffered a back injury that made operating the bulldozers impossible. He then founded Pawnee Lease Service, Inc., an oil field service company that built site locations in South Texas throughout the 1970s and 80s. As the oil field changed so did he. He diverted the business to building roads and bridges for TxDOT, always learning and growing. Throughout this time, he provided many jobs in the small town of Pawnee, Texas. Some men working for him for over 10 years, some being encouraged to start their own business, or go onto better careers, and some being fired only to come back to work for him again. So long as you serviced your machine, he could always find a place for someone willing to work. He lived with a generous spirit, always willing to help people when they were down on their luck.
He later transitioned from building to providing the road materials at TriStar Aggregates, a company he founded in 2003. Once again, always willing to reinvent himself and learn something new, he developed a limestone quarry at the Bar J Ranch in Bee County. He tried unsuccessfully to retire in 2009 but instead continued as a consultant for new and existing business owners. It seemed the only thing Jackie could not conquer was retirement. Through his nationwide network of contacts and friends, he bought and sold construction equipment, rehabbing a piece, and making a deal!
A devoted and loving husband of 60 years to his “angel” and love of his life, Georgia, and a loving and unwavering supportive father to Lasca. He and Lasca talked regularly on her morning commute about her law practice during which he would encourage, provide business suggestions, and without fail ask, “is there anything I can help you with?”.
He was a lifelong hunter and was planning a mule deer hunt in December. He hunted whitetail deer, mule deer, elk, black and grizzly bear, and his Safari Club and Boone & Crockett record Rocky Mountain Goat from South Texas to Canada, making friends and stories along the way.
He loved history and poetry from a young age, studying about the Great Wall of China, the Incas and Machu Picchu and finding the poem Lasca, in eighth grade. In 2013, he walked on the Great Wall of China and 2014, he and Lasca climbed Machu Picchu. He spoke Spanish with the locals and guides, and the guides appreciated his knowledge of their culture and history. He and Georgia started traveling more in his semi-retirement getting her “across the pond” to enjoy the beautiful, green countryside and flowers of Ireland. They took annual trips to Estes Park in the fall to see the elk. They took their first cruise a few years ago to see the leaves change from Boston to Montreal and then a private tour to Niagara Falls. He enjoyed the history of the settlement of the country and the beautiful churches. He was planning their next trip to Rome to see St. Peter’s tomb.
Jackie had some major medical issues throughout his life, broken up by twenty-year increments. During these convalescences, he studied painting. From art classes with Lasca at Hobby Lobby to Bob Rossi videos. We hope you enjoy one of his latest works, the Owl. He also enjoyed poetry reading as well as writing. He expressed his love for his daughter Lasca in the poem, A Father’s Prayer.
Jackie is survived by his devoted wife, Georgia, daughter Lasca and husband Jim Pendley of Boerne, his brother Douglas, and wife Chrissy of Pawnee, and niece LeNan and husband Dustin Francis of College Station and nephew Brett Arnold and wife Stephanie of San Antonio. He was preceded in death by his parents John Odom Arnold in 1969 and his beloved mother Dorothy Lee Phillips Arnold in 1965 and his infant brother John Odom Arnold, Jr. in 1941.
Family Visitation will be held Thursday, September 24, 2026 from 5PM to 7PM in the Eckols Funeral Home Chapel. Services will be conducted on Friday, September 25, 2026 at 2PM in the Eckols Funeral Home Chapel with Pastor Kristie Crisp officiating. Interment will follow in the Pawnee Cemetery in Pawnee, TX.
Serving as Pallbearers will be: Gary Arnold, Jerald “Jerry” Fontaine, William “Billy” Fontaine, Bruce Harvey, Larry Johnson andJess Williams.
Honorary Pallearers are: Alfredo “Freddie” Alvarez, John Blackburn, Russell Braune, Neal Ethridge, Frank Hoelscher, Calvin Kuenstler, Lucio Morin and James “Jim” Pendley.
