Tom was welcomed into the arms of his loving Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on March 23, 2025 following a brief, but fierce battle with leukemia.  He is predeceased by his parents, Raymond and Iris Arnold.  He is survived by Sherri, his wife of 21 years, and his children, Bronco, Seraphina, and Mark.  He is also survived by 3 siblings:  Beth Arnold, Kent Arnold (Flora), and Janet Hoffman (Bill); his parents in-law, Jim and Genny Stitzel and Jude Stitzel; his sister in-law Kathy Evans (Scott); nieces and nephews, Andrew Arnold, Casey Hoffman (Melissa), Tyler Hoffman (Adenna), Gayle Ospital-Cone (André), Stefani Bell (Dwight), and Ashton Barlow; as well as great-nephews Parker and Theo Hoffman, Colin and Logan Ospital-Cone, Malcom Bell, and his great-niece Mackenzie Hoffman; as well as many cousins and friends.

Tom was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area.  He was a happy, jolly kid growing up.  A childhood injury led to chronic hip problems which kept him from playing sports in school.  His dad and brother played football and they felt Tom could have been good.  But he participated by being an equipment manager in high school.  He was always interested in sports and was a longtime follower of the San Francisco 49ers.

He loved acting and was involved in plays in high school and college.  At one point in his life, he worked as a limousine driver to support himself while trying to make it in the acting industry.  It was in that line of work that he met many film stars and people active in that industry.

Tom attended the University of Southern California to pursue acting.  After his third year at USC, Tom felt called to ministry and transferred to Life Bible College earning his BA in Theology.   After that, he pursued his lifelong efforts to love and serve the Lord.   He participated in a traveling Christian acting group, but his bad hip caused him to give that up.  Time for a change, Tom moved to the family ranch in Ione, California.  There he helped his brother manage a plant nursery on part of the ranch.  And he joined New Life Christian Center in nearby Jackson where he served in many roles, eventually becoming an Assistant Pastor and Bible Institute Instructor.  Tom went on to serve as Senior Pastor at River of Life Church in Pine Grove, California, where he met Sherri.  They married a short time later.  She had Bronco from a previous marriage, and they soon added Sera and Mark to their family.

Tom moved his family to Virginia Beach and obtained a MFA in Cinema-Television from Regent University in 2015.  He also obtained a teaching credential and was hired by the public school system to teach English and Theater Arts, although Theater Arts was his favorite.  Tom enjoyed sponsoring clubs where he directed student plays and mentored students in film projects.

Tom will be remembered for his great sense of humor, snarky wit, and infectious laugh. He loved spending time with his family and following their many pursuits.  He will be forever loved and greatly missed until we see him again in heaven.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 2:00 pm on Friday, March 28, 2025, at Essential Church, 4020 Ware Neck Drive, Virginia Beach, VA.  In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Christian mission programs/projects or the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.  The family would also appreciate donations of blood and/or platelets to the American Red Cross.