Alfred Homer Arwe

May 16, 2012

Alfred H. Arwe, 84, passed away on May 16, 2012 in Bradenton. Al was born in New Jersey and spent his elementary & secondary schooling years there. In 1946 he went to Hope College in Holland, Michigan and majored in biology with emphasis on microbiology and biochemistry. He earned a BA degree and secured a seat in the University of McGill Medical School, but before he entered, in 1951, was drafted into US Army Chemical Corps during the Korean war and was assigned to the First Army, Biological Warfare Division. He was discharged in 1954, a Sergeant, with commendation from the Secretary of Defense. He returned to New Jersey and was employed in the Morristown Memorial Hospital as an assistant to the pathologist. In 1955 he was appointed as a Supervisor of Research Laboratory Services at Warner-Lambert Pharmaceutical Company. Four years later Al started his journey through a list of pharmaceutical companies, Sterling Drug, Merck, Richardson-Merrill, as Medical Research Administrator, and at the Beatrice Food Company’s pharmaceutical division as the Director of Drug Regulatory Affairs. In 1972 Al joined the National College of Chiropractic, Lombard, IL, as a Director of Financial Affairs/Student Loans. While there he earned his Doctor of Chiropractic Degree and a BS in human biology, became licensed to practice in Illinois and in 1977 moved to Bradenton, FL., became licensed to practice here, and married Shirley Stivers who had lived near him in Lake Hopatcong, NJ, but had never before known each other. Al met Shirley at a karate school picnic party on Coquina Beach, and it has been “A 25-year honeymoon!” He conducted his chiropractic practice in Bradenton with Shirley as office manager. Al was elected as President of the Southwest Florida Chiropractic Society, and a member of the Board of Directors of the Florida Chiropractic Association. During that period he was a volunteer of the Manatee County Sheriff’s Reserve and earned the rank of Lieutenant. In 1986 he closed his practice(to the dismay of 1,000 patients), attended & graduated from the Police Academy. Went to work full time as road patrol deputy sheriff for Sheriff Charlie Wells. The last two years, of ten as a deputy, he was bailiff in the Manatee County Courthouse. From there retired in 1996 giving Shirley and he time for extensive travels and volunteerism at the Manatee Memorial Hospital and SRQ.