"Seek your own vision, and create great photos!"

Arnold "Arnie" Zann | September 25, 1945 — September 22, 2023

In January of 2023, Arnie was diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. For over a year, we had been trying to figure out what was going on and had been led to believe that it was some sort of neck and/or spine injury. We were devastated by the final diagnosis, and our lives were instantly up-ended. We both agreed, however, that we would not have wanted to know any sooner about the diagnosis, because as of yet, there is no cure for this cruel disease.

For those who want to learn more and our approach to dealing with ALS, you can read what we wrote in a special newsletter and on my May 19, 2023 post on Facebook. There are also some amazing tributes to Arnie on his Facebook page.

We were fortunate to have a great circle of supportive family and friends, both local and far afield who kept checking in to bolster our spirits, and we still found things that made us laugh. That said, our humor was sometimes black, but that made us laugh, too.

Arnie's "kids" came to visit in the spring while he had the energy to enjoy time with them. As the disease progressed, he hung in there as long as he could and probably beyond what he should, but he finally allowed himself to let go before the disease took away his ability to speak and forced him into being strapped into a wheelchair. He spent his final week talking with his son on the phone, being visited by dear friends, and waiting for my daughters to arrive and spend time with him. Mercifully, Arnie finally let go and died peacefully Friday evening, September 22, 2023, surrounded by my daughters and me. He is no longer in pain, nor does he have to live any longer with the anguish of knowing the predetermined outcome for anyone living with ALS. For those who are interested, you can read his obituary here.

Arnie will always be loved, and he will not be forgotten!