Obituary of Arthur F. Volmrich, Jr.

Arthur F. Volmrich Jr. of Lake Placid and most recently of Elderwood of Uihlein, passed on from this world on Saturday, May 25^th, 2019.

Arthur was born in Pittsburgh, PA on September 27, 1927 to Arthur F. and Luella B. Volmrich. He attended Mt. Lebanon High School and Westminster College. He joined the U.S. Navy in March 1946 and was Honorably Discharge in November 1946.

Volmrich Jewelers – The business was founded by Arthur Sr. in Pittsburgh in 1913, Arthur joined his father, where he learned the jewelry trade and developed his skills as a dynamic salesman as well, they worked together until 1974, when he moved the business to Lake Placid. Katherine joined the family business in 1985, she and Arthur worked together until 2009.

Arthur had a number of passions and hobbies, he was a man of many talents and interests, some well known, others not. In no particular order, these included:

Gardening – A passion he inherited from his mother Luella that brought him many years of joy, wonder and pleasure. Arthur was recognized by the Garden Club of Lake Placid with the Green Thumb award for his home gardens on Parkside Dr. He also appreciated and cultivated a good compost pile. Jeffrey does his best to carry on this family tradition.

Renovating & Remodeling – Arthur loved a good project. His first remodel in Lake Placid was his Jewelry store at, what was then, 99 Main St. He then turned his attention to an “old ark of a house” at 69 Parkside Dr., which had not been lived in for years. Over a number of years, with a fine cast of characters, some more skilled than others, the property was transformed into 3 beautiful apartments and Arthur’s residence. Another house on Parkside Dr. and a few remodeling projects around town followed. Arthur and his son Jeffrey partnered up to build a “Round House” on Liberty Hill as well.

Skiing and the National Ski Patrol – Although he was not born into a skiing family, as he started a family of his own he took to the nearby slopes of the Hidden Valley Ski Area. Most winter weekends were spent at the mountain with family and an extended cast of characters, many became life long friends. After a fire destroyed the small ski lodge, Arthur was intimately involved in designing and raising the money to build new ski patrol buildings. This led to him taking on the responsibility as head of that ski patrol for many years, a role he took seriously and performed admirably despite the fact that this was skiing in the 60’s & 70’s. Jeff and Katherine remain passionate skiers to this day. Thanks Dad!

Cars & Boats – As a boy, Arthur worked at a Mobil Service Station, where, unbeknownst to his parents, he bought and stored his first car at the age of 14, his love of cars continued throughout his life. Later he bought and operated that same Mobil station for four years during a hiatus from the jewelry business. The car most will remember is his 1936 Ford which he bought in 1950 and drove with glee for the rest of his driving career. His fascination with internal combustion extended to his boat, originally named the 50/50 then renamed the Warlock when it found its home on Lake Placid. For a time it was one of the fastest boats on the lake.

Tennis – Arthur found his way onto the courts in Pittsburgh, but the tennis bug really bit him in the shorts once he moved to Lake Placid. In the early years he was known to hang the sign on his shop door “The Devil made me do it!” and make his way to one of the local courts for a game. Later, he became known as “Tennis Central” due to his insistence for strict adherence to scheduling, attendance and the occasional substitute player. Arthur loved the game and played with passion well into his 80’s.

Folk Dancing – Through various and eclectic friendships made along the way, he was drawn to the world of folk dancing. Many a year in May was spent rehearsing and performing in the Pittsburgh Folk Festival with several nationality groups. These included Norwegian, Italian, Israeli and his favorite, the Bulgarians.

The Theater – His years spent dancing and performing in Pittsburgh led to a life long passion for local theater and stagecraft. Over 35 years, beginning in 1974, Arthur performed in more than 50 local productions. During this time he enjoyed many friendships and the camaraderie that rehearsing and acting brought with each play. Although there are too many to list, here are a few of his favorite characters, and possibly yours: Mr. Bundles in Annie, Luther Billis in South Pacific, The Rabbi in Fiddler on the Roof, Fagan in Oliver and his favorite character, on and off stage, SCROOGE!

Arthur is survived by his children, Douglas Nelson (Niki), Katherine Roxanne and Jeffrey Ross (Fiona). Grandchildren, Eric (Susan), Brian (Shauna), Alyssa, Evan, Taylor and Savannah. Great Grandchildren, Collin, Kaitlin, Lydia, Micah and Jonas, as well as his former wife Georgia Jones. He was predeceased by his parents, and his sister Mary Louise.

At Arthur’s request, there will be no funeral. There will be a celebration of his life at a date to be announced in early August. The M. B. Clark, Inc., Funeral Home in Lake Placid, NY is in charge of arrangements.  Relatives and friends are invited to share a memory or leave condolences at www.mbclarkfuneralhome.com .

Donations should be made to the Lake Placid Sinfonietta (https://lakeplacidsinfonietta.org/donations), The Lake Placid Beautification Committee and the Community Theater Players, Inc. (https://www.facebook.com/Community-Theatre-Players-Inc-227259172070/)

His family would like to thank Arthur’s many friends and caregivers. Jeff & Katherine extend a special, sincere and heartfelt Thank You to all of the staff at Elderwood of Uihlein of Lake Placid. You accepted our father and treated him as your own family over these past two years. Thank You!