Joseph Whitsitt Arbuthnot, Jr, age 86, a longtime resident of Montgomery, died August 24, 2020, in Birmingham, Alabama. He was predeceased by his sister, Julia Arbuthnot Strickland.
Joe was born on January 8, 1934, in Marion, Alabama, at the home of his parents, Joseph Whitsitt Arbuthnot and Fanny Perry Marshall Arbuthnot. The family moved to Montgomery in September 1942, where Joe attended Cloverdale Elementary and Junior High Schools. He graduated from Sidney Lanier High School and from the School of Architecture at The Alabama Polytechnic Institute (now Auburn University), where he was a member of Phi Delta Theta.
After graduation, he served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Korea for two years. He was a long-time employee of Montgomery architect Luther L. Hill. He was an engaged and enthusiastic supporter of the arts in Montgomery and designed a number of stage sets for the Montgomery Little Theater over the years. Joe was a talented artist and enjoyed sharing his love of birding, gardening, baking, music, and other varied interests.
Joe is survived by his brother-in-law, James Harris Strickland, of Mountain Brook; two nephews, James Harris Strickland, Jr., and his wife Susan, of Hoover, and Joseph Whitsitt Strickland, and his wife Emily, of Vestavia Hills; his aunt, Clarinda Reier Marshall, of Mobile; four great-nephews and one great-niece; and by a number of beloved cousins and dear friends.
Joe was a member of Trinity Presbyterian Church in Montgomery. Memorials may be made to:
Trinity Presbyterian Church
1728 South Hull Street
Montgomery AL 36104The Presbyterian Home for Children
PO Drawer 577
Talladega AL 35161Or Your Favorite Charity.
Graveside services will be held at Greenwood Cemetery at 11:00 am on Friday, August 28, 2020, with Reverend Michael Howell of Trinity Presbyterian Church officiating. Arrangements are under the direction of Leak-Memory Chapel (945 Lincoln Road), where family and friends who are attending will gather to process to the graveside.