Arlyn H. Lichthardt ’63

Arlyn, a superb athlete with an engaging and boundless appetite for life, died March 13, 2023, in a hospital near his home in northern France following complications from a broken hip.

Arlyn came to Princeton from Breck School outside of Minneapolis, where he was class president for three out of his four years, graduated cum laude, and was captain of the football and wrestling teams. At Princeton, he majored in English, played on the freshman and varsity football, wrestling, and lacrosse teams, and took his meals at Cannon Club.

Life after Princeton was varied and adventurous. Arlyn took advanced studies in English at the University of Hawaii and taught English at the Punahou School in Oahu for six years. He and Kay, his first wife, had three children: Leilani, Heidi, and Kurt. He became an avid surfer and snorkeler.

Returning to the mainland in 1971, the family settled in Allentown, Pa., where Arlyn worked as a stockbroker and coached his son’s sports teams. Arlyn and Kay ultimately divorced.

Arlyn met Pamela Hill, his second wife, at a Princeton reunion. They were married in the Princeton Chapel and lived in Perkasie, Pa., until the mid-’90s when they divorced and Arlyn relocated to Albuquerque, N.M., to care for his aging mother. While there, he met Sophie Noel at a country music event in Santa Fe. They married a couple of years later.

Arlyn and Sophie moved to the Ardennes region of France in the fall of 2004 to care for Sophie’s mother. They decided to stay, living in a chalet outside the town of Gespunsart. They had an extensive garden and spent time hiking, cooking, and entertaining.

Arlyn is survived by Sophie, daughters Leilani Souders and Heidi Feigles, son Kurt, six grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.