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Robert Earl Arrington, age 76 of Monticello, passed away Saturday, October 4, 2025, at Baptist Hospital Spring Hill in North Little Rock, AR. He was born March 22, 1949, in Monticello, AR to the late R.J. Arrington and Marie Smith Arrington.
Robert’s true calling was the funeral business from a very early age. He began working at Henderson Funeral Home and Stephenson Funeral Home as a young man before going to Louisiana to work for Tenner Funeral Home and Montgomery Funeral Home. He then returned to Monticello to work for Stephenson-Dearman Funeral Home as a licensed funeral director and insurance agent. He worked for three generations of the Stephenson-Dearman family. Robert was a very integral part of the funeral home receiving numerous Selected Funeral & Life Insurance Company awards for insurance sales over the years and has written several thousand policies for Southeast Arkansas residents. He enjoyed cooking, especially the barbeque where he could use his famous homemade barbeque sauce. He was also an avid Arkansas Razorback fan and loved keeping up with his family and friends on his cell phone. Robert was a lifelong member of Pilgrim Rest AME Church. In addition to his parents, he is preceded in death by two brothers, Lemuel Ridgell and Frederick Arrington and wife Patricia; maternal grandparents, Oscela Smith Sr. and wife Lonzela and Annie Mae Allen Smith; and paternal grandparents, Clifton Arrington and Reola Swain.
He is survived by his wife, Gwendolyn McCray Arrington of Monticello; children, Ramona Stanley and husband Robert, Teressa Gipson and Calvin Gipson all of Louisiana, Kiwanda Kuthong and wife Linda of Texas, Latreasha Charleston of Illinois and Tamara Riddle and husband Herman of Wisconsin; siblings, Hugh Arrington and wife Chris of Monticello, Marilyn Trotter and husband Henry of Monticello, Cassinger Coopwood of Texas, Boulder Henry of Texas and Fredrick Henry of Nebraska; a sister-in-law, Evelyn Ridgell of Monticello; eleven grandchildren; twenty-seven great grandchildren; along with a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and good friends.
Funeral services will be 2:00 p.m. Saturday, October 11, 2025, at Stephenson-Dearman Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Chris Goodman, Rev. Lorenzo Simmons and Rev. Graylin Wilson officiating. There will be a wake Friday evening from 5:00-7:00 p.m. at the funeral home. Burial will be in Oakland Cemetery. You can sign Robert’s guestbook registry here on his page.
Robert’s true calling was the funeral business from a very early age. He began working at Henderson Funeral Home and Stephenson Funeral Home as a young man before going to Louisiana to work for Tenner Funeral Home and Montgomery Funeral Home. He then returned to Monticello to work for Stephenson-Dearman Funeral Home as a licensed funeral director and insurance agent. He worked for three generations of the Stephenson-Dearman family. Robert was a very integral part of the funeral home receiving numerous Selected Funeral & Life Insurance Company awards for insurance sales over the years and has written several thousand policies for Southeast Arkansas residents. He enjoyed cooking, especially the barbeque where he could use his famous homemade barbeque sauce. He was also an avid Arkansas Razorback fan and loved keeping up with his family and friends on his cell phone. Robert was a lifelong member of Pilgrim Rest AME Church. In addition to his parents, he is preceded in death by two brothers, Lemuel Ridgell and Frederick Arrington and wife Patricia; maternal grandparents, Oscela Smith Sr. and wife Lonzela and Annie Mae Allen Smith; and paternal grandparents, Clifton Arrington and Reola Swain.
He is survived by his wife, Gwendolyn McCray Arrington of Monticello; children, Ramona Stanley and husband Robert, Teressa Gipson and Calvin Gipson all of Louisiana, Kiwanda Kuthong and wife Linda of Texas, Latreasha Charleston of Illinois and Tamara Riddle and husband Herman of Wisconsin; siblings, Hugh Arrington and wife Chris of Monticello, Marilyn Trotter and husband Henry of Monticello, Cassinger Coopwood of Texas, Boulder Henry of Texas and Fredrick Henry of Nebraska; a sister-in-law, Evelyn Ridgell of Monticello; eleven grandchildren; twenty-seven great grandchildren; along with a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and good friends.
Funeral services will be 2:00 p.m. Saturday, October 11, 2025, at Stephenson-Dearman Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Chris Goodman, Rev. Lorenzo Simmons and Rev. Graylin Wilson officiating. There will be a wake Friday evening from 5:00-7:00 p.m. at the funeral home. Burial will be in Oakland Cemetery. You can sign Robert’s guestbook registry here on his page.