Michael Arnum

Michael John Arnum, 54, of Lancaster passed away unexpectedly on Feb. 26. He was born Oct. 27, 1968, in Cambridge, to Martha (Thompson) Arnum and the late Malven Arnum.

Michael had a deep passion for gardening, plants and all things green, working many hours on home vegetable and flower gardens. He loved history, gadgets and bird feeding, often attracting hummingbirds to the yard. He was a fantastic cook and baker, well known for his culinary skills, sharing goodies with all he knew. Mike also was a prolific writer and avid reader. Mike enjoyed travel, as he was fluent in French and perfecting his Norwegian. Proud of his Norwegian heritage, Michael was a longtime active member of Sons of Norway. Fascinated by weather phenomena and astronomy, Michael was an ardent comet and eclipse watcher, and he loved to watch thunderstorms and snowstorms, too.

An incredibly hard worker, Michael took adversity in stride and persevered. A kind and gentle man with a unique sense of humor, he had a keen ability to pick out the most distinctive gifts for friends and family. A wiz with technology, Michael was always helpful to those of us who were technologically challenged. A graduate of Lincoln-Sudbury High School, Michael furthered his studies and received a B.S. in horticulture science at Cornell University. Later he earned his Master’s of Business Administration from Boston University and recently received the prestigious Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) certification.

Michael served many years as marketing director for Tower Hill Botanical Gardens in Boylston before taking a position as marketing director at Old Sturbridge Village in Sturbridge. His most recent title was with shrub and tree sales at Weston Nurseries in Hopkinton, where he often would make valuable contributions to the Marketing Department.

In addition to his dear mother, Michael is survived by his loving sisters, Karen Mitchell and Anita Arnum, three nephews, Ryan, Nicholas and Jake Mitchell, and two beloved cats, Chase and Ozzie. Michael also has several relatives in Norway. A smart, sweet and gentle man, Michael left us way too soon and will be deeply missed by all who had the pleasure of knowing him.

Funeral Service were held March 4 at Duckett Funeral Home of J.S. Waterman & Sons, Sudbury. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Michael’s memory to the Audubon Society or your favorite cat rescue, horticulture society or any of the many organization to which Michael belonged.

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