Samuel George Arcus, 95, died Jan. 5, 2017.
Mr. Arcus was born in New York. When he was 7 his mother died and he was placed in the Hebrew National Orphan Home. He stayed there for almost 12 years. He went on to obtain a Bachelor of Science degree in social science, graduating cum laude from City College of New York, and a master’s degree in social work from Columbia University. As a social worker for Jewish services, he worked in many communities. Mr. Arcus and his wife, Adele, moved to Tucson in 1979 when he was hired to aid with fundraising to build a Jewish Community Center. He served as executive director and it took seven years to raise the money to proceed with the plans. After retiring from the JCC, he worked at Pima Council on Aging as a social work consultant and became a coordinator for the long term care advocacy program. In 1998, he received the Arizona Ombudsman Achievement Award. Mr. Arcus was also an author and artist; his books include “Deja Views of an Aging Orphan.”
Mr. Arcus was preceded in death by his wife, Adele. Survivors include his son, Norman (Susan) Arcus of Tucson; daughter, Shelley (George) Ting of Tempe, Ariz.; and four grandchildren.
Memorial services were held at the Evergreen Mortuary with Rabbi Batsheva Appel of Temple Emanu-El officiating. Contributions may be made to Temple Emanu-El, the Tucson Jewish Community Center, Tucson Humane Society or Pima Council on Aging.
