Robert Earl Arrington, 76

Robert Earl Arrington, 76, of Monticello, passed away Saturday, October 4, 2025, at Baptist Hospital Spring Hill in North Little Rock. He was born March 22, 1949, in Monticello 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 and 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 (Robert), Teressa Gipson and Calvin Gipson all of Louisiana, Kiwanda Kuthong (Linda) of Texas, Latreasha Charleston of Illinois and Tamara Riddle (Herman) of Wisconsin; siblings, Hugh Arrington (Chris) of Monticello, Marilyn Trotter (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 were held 2 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 was a wake Friday evening from 5-7 p.m. at the funeral home. Burial was in Oakland Cemetery.