Obituary of Donald Arni Gunnarsson

Donald Árni Haukur Gunnarsson, 80 years young, was born on January 1, 1937 in Akureyri, Iceland. He passed away on August 30, 2017 and flew with mighty wings to be with God in the great Hall of Valhalla. Don is survived by his beloved wife Elizabeth (Betty), sons Robert Gunnarsson and Gary (Carolee) Gunnarsson, daughters Claire (Dave) Ehrman and Denise (James) Jordan, brother, William Gunnarsson, sister Ellen Harðarsdóttir, grandchildren Kurt (Danielle) Newton, Kevin (Stacey) Newton, Kreig Newton, Jamie Sudkamp, Ryan Long, Olivia Long, Jessie Jordan, Alicia (Vincent) Carillo, and Ryan Jordan, and great grandchildren Angelina Jordan, Julius Jordan, Audrey Jordan, Kaiden Newton, Brody Newton, Miles Newton, Emma Newton, Vincent Carrillo, and Elias Carrillo. He is preceded in death by his father Hördur Gunnarsson, mother Ingibörg Kristjánsdottir, brother Gunnar Gunnarsson, and sisters Loa Gunnarsson and Betty Gunnarsson. Don immigrated from Iceland when he was 11 years old and lived in Southern California for the rest of his young childhood. He moved to Bayshore, NY and graduated high school in 1954. He attended one year at Albany State Teacher's College then joined the Marine Corp in 1955 (OoRah!). He served 1 ½ years in Okinawa during his four year enlistment. After his honorable discharge he served two years in the Marine Corp Reserves. During this time he met the love of his life (yes, lightning struck) and the phrase "Beautiful Betty" would be heard whenever he spoke of his sweetheart of 57 years. They wed on May 26, 1960 and raised their four children on Long Island until 1975 when they moved to Lake Havasu City, AZ. Don, or "Gunnar" as he was fondly called by his friends, sold insurance and worked extremely hard to provide for his family, traveling both near and far. Work was a joy to him, not a chore. Don always went out of his way to help others and was actively involved with Meals on Wheels, the soup kitchen at Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church, and the Mens' Cancer Support Group. Don returned to his homeland five times to visit with family in Iceland and introduced his American family to the legends, beautiful fjords, natural geysers, and glaciers from which he came. He took tremendous pride in his heritage and sought to teach his children and grandchildren about the Viking traditions and history of his land. Don was an immaculate dresser, always mindful of his appearance. He was also a very good dancer and took great enjoyment being involved in the dinner theater with his wife Betty. As an avid sports fan, he followed the Arizona Diamondbacks as well as the Phoenix Cardinals. Don had so many friends and people who loved him. His thirst for knowledge caused him to be a voracious reader. Words cannot express how much he will be missed by his family and friends, as well as his Icelandic family. Services for Don will be held on September 16, 2017 at Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church with military honors starting at 12:30 PM. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Hospice of Havasu, or the soup kitchen at Our Lady of the Lake. Services were placed in the care of Lietz-Fraze Funeral Home. Thoughts and condolences can be sent to the family at www.lietz-frazefuneralhome.com. To send the family a free card, go to www.sendoutcards.com/lietzfraze.