Gail Arndt was an avid reader who liked to dissect books, and every month the former English teacher for DeKalb County schools had that chance in the Bibliophilistic Book Group.
“It was a very intelligent group, and it wasn't a social group,” said Bill Arndt, her husband and a Dunwoody resident. "Once I asked her what was the gossip they talked about in their meetings, and she said, ‘We don’t gossip, we discuss books.’ They read the kind of books I don’t understand.”
Formed in the early 1970s in north Atlanta, the group's 20 members preferred serious literature, founding member Betty Mori of Buckhead and Mrs. Arndt's friend for 44 years said.
“Gail brought a great deal of discussion to the book club,” Mrs. Mori said. “She was very intelligent. A true intellect.”
Gail Heard Arndt of Dunwoody died June 30 at her home from a massive brain injury caused by a fall. She was 72. A memorial service will be held Tuesday at 11 a.m. at Rivercliff Lutheran Church in Sandy Springs. SouthCare Cremation Society and Memorial Centers in Alpharetta was in charge of arrangements.
“She was a great reviewer," said Clarice Elder of Dunwoody, another friend of Mrs. Arndt's and a club member. "She knew how to get to the heart of things.”
In addition to literature, Mrs. Arndt enjoyed poetry, and could quote from her favorite poets. She read mysteries for relaxation. She often read books downloaded onto her Sony Reader. She also enjoyed crossword puzzles and would rather work one than watch TV, unless there was a sporting event broadcast.
Mrs. Arndt was a sports fan who kept up with minute details of any athletic event. She watched the NBA draft in June and knew who all the best players were and where they had gone to school, her husband said.
Mrs. Arndt was an all-state basketball player in high school. She coached her two daughters in basketball, and traveled around the country to watch her granddaughter, Hannah King, play tennis.
“She was just so well-rounded,” Sarah Heard, Mrs. Arndt’s sister-in-law and a Cumming resident, said.
An Atlanta native, Mrs. Arndt attended North Fulton High School and was an accomplished athlete and student. She turned down a scholarship offer to study medicine at Vanderbilt University.
Instead, she attended the University of Georgia and became a cheerleader for the football team, served as president of her sorority and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, Mortar Board and Who’s Who honor societies.
“She was the perfect college girl,” said Mrs. Heard.
Mrs. Arndt graduated with a journalism degree and landed a first job as newsletter editor for the then-Southern Bell Telephone Company. Considering the work boring, she answered an ad for a teaching position. She taught English for 25 years with DeKalb County schools, retiring in the early 1990s. She also mentored a high school student through the DeKalb Partners ‘n Pals program. She earned a master’s degree in education from Oglethorpe University.
“She loved kids," Mr. Arndt said. "She was always trying to help them and nurture them."
The Arndts were married in 1963. They moved to Dunwoody when the area had a wooden-frame elementary school, gas station, and not much else. In 1967, they were among the 27 initial members who formed Rivercliff Lutheran Church in Sandy Springs.
Other survivors include two daughters, Melissa King of Dunwoody and Elizabeth Doran of Buckhead, and four grandchildren.
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