Arthur Francis Kiser

Arthur Kiser was a man that was larger than life, somehow managing to extract 188 years of living into just 88 years of life. We all feel profound sadness and sorrow at his loss, but yet feel gratitude for having known him and loved him. He was one of the kindest, bravest souls who suffered for years from diabetes complications, including losing both of his legs, yet persevered through his pain in order to be in the company of the family who loved him and leaned on him as their leader. He never denied the ravages of diabetes, but it never crippled his love of those around him or their love of him. He showed many times that you don't have to have legs to enjoy life. Even in the last months of his life he would still roll up to Teen in his wheelchair and nuzzle his head into her arm. After 65 years together, it was still a beautiful reflection of their deep and lasting love for one another. We all grieve his loss, but if we could talk to him one more time, he would tell us to celebrate his life.

Arthur was born to this earth in 1925 to his beloved Mom and Pop. He might not have been born to material riches but his family had far more important things than those that you can touch. His early life was in the West End of Atlanta. As a teenager, he attended the old Tech High School. Early on, he had that sense of duty that all of us recognized in him. He joined the military and went to Florida to learn to fly airplanes for the Army Air Corps. Before his 21st birthday, he was in England flying B-17s into the hostile airspace of Germany and Austria. He was one of the lucky ones and came home at the end of WWII unscathed. In 1948 he married his beloved Teen. Together they would raise 4 children and along the way equip them all to have families of their own and make their way in the world. Sounds great, but as Arthur knew so well, life's road is full of curves. The big curve in the road was a place that few even knew: Korea.

In Korea, Arthur did what he always did: he gave it all he had. He was there for 2 tours in 1951 and 1952, flew 103 missions and distinguished himself as a pilot. As always, he was a trailblazer. He flew for the Mosquito Squadron, an elite group of risk takers that was the beginning of the forward air controller concept in Vietnam. Flying a lightly armed or sometimes unarmed AT-6, he and his Aussie back seater would search for the enemy, find them and mark the spot with smoke grenades for the air strikes that would follow.

Unfortunately, he did not come home from Korea unscathed. He cheated death on more than one occasion but paid a terrible price in injuries to his back that, in later years, meant many painful and risky surgeries. Sometimes he lived in constant pain but he could always manage that impish little grin that told you he was up to something that was going to be fun for him and maybe not so much fun for the one on the receiving end. How many people do you know that left for the grocery store and came home to his wife and 4 kids with a 2-seater Corvette? Art Kiser did and he loved it. The Corvette didn't stay around forever, but Art and Teen, along with their cadre of friends developed a love for sport car rallies. Teen and the other ladies did all of the work and Art and all of the guys did the driving and the other fun stuff. Never let it be said that Art wasn't as smart as he was mischievous.

He loved fishing and the outdoors and had more than his share of fish stories to prove it. He was a camper. He had one of the first popup camp trailers around and the family spent more than a few weekends with the mosquito's, outdoor plumbing and all of the other fun things that go along with camping. After Korea, he set about achieving his life's work: being an architect and as he would have told you "a damn good one." He did houses, banks and at the height of his career did what he called "chicken pickin' plants". He and Teen spent so much time at Tyson Foods in Springdale, Arkansas that the rest of the family thought that they were on the payroll there. The corporate offices there were designed by Art. What a monument to his talent! He worked with many other companies in Arkansas and along the way knew the likes of Sam Walton and Bill Clinton. Sometimes when he would recite stories of being in the presence of the future President, he would whisper behind his hand "and he cheats at poker too".

However, Art was much more than an architect. When he was not sitting at his drawing board putting his artistic talent on paper, he found the time to be a deacon in more than one Baptist Church, sang in the choir with a beautiful bass voice, taught Sunday School, was a cub scout leader, member of the Lion's Club and a Mason. He was a fervent and faithful Christian. He loved the Gideon's. If you are staying in a hotel tonight, that Bible on the night stand might have been touched by Art. At the very least, in his heart, he knows that it is there. After his career as an architect, he and Teen moved to North Georgia. His time as an architect might have come to an end, but he never slowed down until the diabetes that he knew he had since his early 40s began to take its toll. However, never let it be said that Arthur Kiser wasn't a fighter. He was a gladiator of the highest order in that fight with a relentless foe. Time and time again, he would suffer the effects of this terrible disease, but between him and his doctors, he would fight back. His favorite doctor, Dan Fisher, once said," I have never known anyone with a stronger will to live that Art".

As God has promised, those who believe in Him will be with Him forever. Art is now with God. He has reunited with Mom, Pop, Tevie, his wartime buddies and those friends that have gone on before him. He now has a new and perfect body. He has his legs, has probably asked St. Peter for a new pair of boots and is walking around Heaven humming to himself "These Boots are Made for Walking" Rest in Peace Art, Rest in Peace.

Funeral services for Mr. Kiser will be held on Friday, April 12, 2013, at 4:00 p.m., at McConnell Memorial Baptist Church in Hiawassee. The following gentlemen have been selected to serve as pallbearers: David Adams, Tom Burkizer, Jess Hornsby, Bob LiVolsi, Brian Underwood, and Eddie Tipton. Burial will be in Osborn Cemetery in Hiawassee. Visitation will be held at Cochran Funeral Home in Hiawassee on Thursday evening, April 11, 2013, between the hours of 6 until 9 p.m.

Arrangements entrusted to Cochran Funeral Home of Hiawassee. We welcome you to visit our website, www.cochranfuneralhomes.com, where you may send condolences and share fond memories with the Kiser family.