~ IN MEMORY ~
USAF veteran, DL Flt. Control Michael “Mike” Lee
Arbuckle
October 9, 1944 - July 3, 2025
Following his military service, Mike joined Delta
Air Lines in May of 1969 in Indianapolis.
He retired as Sector Manager Operations Control in Atlanta on August 1,
2000 with 31 years of service. Mike is
survived by his wife Julie Ann, and by his children and their families along
with many dear friends and airline colleagues.
Services for Mike will be held July 21st in
Hendersonville, Tennessee…..please see obituary for arrangements.
PCN memorial site
https://www.springhillfh.com/obituaries/michael-arbuckle/obituary
Michael Lee Arbuckle, 80, of Ashland City,
Tennessee joined his Heavenly Father on Thursday, July 3, 2025 after he passed
away from heart failure at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville,
Tennessee.
Michael was a loving and faithful husband of 58
years to his wife Julie…a supportive father to his two children Brandon and
Tiffany…and was a devoted grandfather to his five grandchildren: Solomon,
Oliver, Clementine, Rowan and Stanley. Michael was born on October 9, 1944 in
Columbus, Indiana. He was the youngest child of six to Reverend Alonzo James
“AJ” and Caroline (Milburn) Arbuckle. Michael graduated in 1962 from
Southwestern High School in Flat Rock, Indiana.
After graduation, he was employed by Cummins
Engine Company in Columbus, Indiana. In August of 1964 he met his wife Julie at
an A&W root beer stand in Greensburg, Indiana. The next fall, in 1965,
Michael joined the United States Air Force and was stationed at Nellis Air
Force Base in Las Vegas, Nevada. He returned home to Indiana to marry his
sweetheart on April 29, 1967 at the First Baptist Church there in Greensburg.
Michael and his bride returned to Las Vegas, where Michael remained in the Air
Force until 1969. He and Julie, then returned to Indiana, where Michael took
his love for aviation and found tremendous satisfaction working for Delta
airlines. At that time, Michael also furthered his education at Indiana
University and received his brokers license and worked for Century 21 Real
Estate.
In 1983, Michael and his family moved to
Fayetteville, Georgia when Michael was promoted by Delta into management of
flight control at their corporate headquarters there in Atlanta where he
remained a faithful employee until 2000 when he then retired after 31 years of
employment. After retirement from Delta, Michael and Julie moved to South
Africa where Michael was employed by South African Airways as the Director of
Operations until “9-11”. Upon returning to the U.S. Michael continued to do
consulting work for various other international airlines. In 2004, he and Julie
moved to Tennessee to be near their children and grandchildren. Upon becoming a
grandfather in 2005 Michael’s primary focus became his grandchildren and he
became a professional “Papa” to them. It would be his proudest accomplishment
of all. In 2024 Michael was diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer. He was
fighting the disease valiantly until June 2025 when he was cutting his
“beloved“ grass and suffered a stroke. The stress on his heart from those
things was simply more than it could handle and he passed away with family by
his side on July 3, 2025 at 2:12 a.m.
Michael is preceded in death by his parents A.J.
and Caroline Arbuckle, sister Patsy (Don) Weber, brother Donald (MaryEllen)
Arbuckle, brother Lonnie Rae “Jake“ Arbuckle, and sister-in-law, Janice
Arbuckle.
He is survived by his wife, Julia Ann (Justus)
Arbuckle of Ashland City, TN, his son Rev. Dr. Brandon M. (Nicole) Arbuckle of
Glencoe, IL, his daughter Tiffany Arbuckle Lee of Hendersonville, TN,
grandson‘s Solomon Fury Lee and Oliver Canon Lee, granddaughter Clementine Fire
Lee and grandson’s Rowan Henry Arbuckle and Stanley Alasdair Arbuckle. He also
leaves behind a brother, James Arbuckle of Franklin, IN and a brother Robert
(Sharon) Arbuckle of Flat Rock, IN as well as a sister-in-law, Sue Arbuckle of
Greensburg, IN along with many wonderful nieces, nephews and cousins.
Services for Michael Lee Arbuckle will be held on
July 21, 2025 at Hendersonville First Baptist Church in the chapel located in
Hendersonville, Tennessee. Visitation will be from 10 AM until 12 noon with a
service at 12 noon and a burial service with military honors at the Nashville
National Cemetery afterwards.
Arrangements entrusted to Spring Hill Funeral
Home, 5110 Gallatin Pike, Nashville, TN 37216. 615-865-1101. https://www.springhillfh.com
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