Longtime South Point council member Arthur dies at 87

SOUTH POINT — Marlene Arthur, who served more than three decades on South Point’s village council, died Tuesday at home at age 87.

Arthur was first elected to the council in the early 1990s, following the death of her husband, William, who was a council member before her.

Other than two years out of office, Arthur served continuously on the council up until last week, when she was present at a special meeting.

Arthur worked as a veterinarian assistant and was active in numerous civic groups in the village over the years, including the garden club, the centennial committee and was a major advocate in bringing the South Point branch of the Briggs Lawrence County Public Library to the village.

“Marlene Arthur was an asset to our village and to our council,” Mayor Jeff Gaskin said. “She will be sorely missed by both.”

Council member Chuck Austin described Arthur as “a cornerstone of the community for decades.”

Austin, who grew up with Arthur’s children and attended high school with them, said her aim in public office was always pure.

“There was no self gain in it for her whatsoever,” he said. “She made it about the civic opportunities. She was an outstanding lady.”

Margaret Reid said she got to know Arthur when she attended a council meeting to advocate for the South Point library.

She said Arthur became instrumental in that effort. She praised her for her civic involvement in numerous groups, her sense of humor and said “she never had a bad word to say about anyone.”

“She was a delight to know,” she said. “She was always so positive and supportive. She was one of those people you could always count on,” Reid said.

Council member David Classing said he knew Arthur his entire life, with his parents attending church with her.

“She was one of the few remaining people who held me when I was a newborn,” he said.

Like Austin, he spoke of her motivation in public service.

“She got into this for the right reasons,” he said. “She loved her community and she loved South Point.”

Classing served with Arthur in two stints on council. First, in the mid-1990s, and then more recently.

He said, during the first stint, he would often pick Arthur up for meetings when there was snow.

Classing said, when he left the area for several years, he remembered what Arthur asked when he told her he was leaving.

“She said ‘Who’s going to pick me up now?’” Classing recalled.

He said fellow council member Chris Smith ended up doing so. Classing said, when he was living in Vancouver, British Columbia, if he saw it was snowing back home, he would call Smith to remind him to pick up Arthur.

Classing recalled Arthur continuously hoped to bring a splash park to the village and he once joked to her, if they finally got one after she was gone, he would be sure it was named after her.

“She giggled and said, ‘I’d like to get to see it,” he said.

When he moved back to Lawrence County, he said Arthur repeatedly urged him to return to council, which he ultimately did as a write in candidate.

Classing said, when he was sworn in, his wife was unavailable, caring for their child and she asked him who would hold the Bible as he took the oath.

“I said, ‘I know exactly who will do it. Marlene will,’” Classing said.

Arthur suffered a tragedy in 2002, when her daughter, Kelly, and son-in-law, Paul, were killed in an auto accident.

Classing and Gaskin recalled that Arthur then raised the couple’s two sons, Caleb and Colton Copley, who now serves as a Lawrence County commissioner.

“And I think she did a pretty good job there,” Classing said.

Colton Copley said she was the inspiration for him becoming a commissioner.

“My grandmother was a pillar of love and resilience, shaping our family and the South Point community with her many years of devoted service on the village council,” he said. “Her boundless compassion and fierce advocacy for the village inspired my own passion for politics and community service, a legacy I strive to carry forward. I am proud of her countless contributions, grateful for her unwavering support, and will always hold dear the love we shared.”

Classing said, to him, Arthur was “more than a council member.”

“She was a friend and like having an extra grandmother,” he said. “She was a dandy and will be missed. We lost a good one.” 

Funeral services for Arthur will be 1 p.m. Monday at Wallace Family Funeral Home in South Point, with Pastor Tim Jenkins officiating. Burial will follow at Highland Memorial Gardens in South Point. Family and friends may visit the funeral home from 11 a.m.-1 p.m., prior to the service on Monday, a time for shared memories and support. 

— Full obituary can be found here.