Arthur William Engelhard, Jr.

Arthur W. Engelhard, Jr., was born July 25, 1959 in Wilmington, DE, and died during the first week of July 2015 in Conway, Arkansas.

Bill, as he was called came to Florida in 1964 when his family moved to Bradenton. He attended Palma Sola Elementary School, then the Sixth Grade Center near Tropicana during integration and graduated from Manatee High School in 1977.

Bill was very gifted mechanically. He had an ability to fix things. At about the age of 15 he put together a motor from parts he found, and then mounted ion a go-cart he built. After graduation he worked at Siemens on the Manatee River and Tri-Electronics in Parrish. He then decided to explore the Norwalk area of northern Ohio, where he had relatives. He went to work in an automobile parts and repair shop. This suited him greatly.

He enjoyed rebuilding a 1969 and a 1970 Chevrolet car in his garage. Bill eventually moved to central Foley, Alabama. Here he could have his favorite fishing spots, just as he had in Bradenton and Palmetto.

Bill started working for High Bandwidth, Inc., one the pioneer companies that was installing broadband, fiber optics and other advanced communication systems that were on the horizon. He loved the constant travel. He worked in New Orleans, Dallas, Omaha and points in between. There was a great rush, working 7 days a week, to get the installations done “yesterday”. Then the unexpected occurred, clients did not materialize and the installation companies did not get paid, worked slowed down and some companies closed. Bill’s company dropped from many employees to two, Bill and the owner/boss.

Back home in, Foley, Bill went to work for one of the coastal amusement parks. He kept the little dodge cars and other mechanical devices running. At home, he had a shop and people brought him lawn mowers, washing machines, chain saws, etc. to fix. Neighbors said he could fix anything. Someone brought him a small four-wheeled vehicle that would not run. He fixed it and in a fast test run, he crashed, suffering a severe brain injury, in which he also lost the vision in one eye, some teeth and had severe pains.

Bill struggled with walking, talking, balance and managing pain. He was improving in the last year and was planning on moving back to Florida so he could get back to fishing in his old spots.

Bill was preceded in death by his older brother, Eric and is survived by his father, Dr. Arthur W. Englehard of Bradenton, mother, Diane (Ed) Elliott of Clayton, GA, sister, Lisa Engelhard of Bradenton, and many cousins, extended family members and friends, all of whom will miss him greatly.

There will be no local services. The family request that in lieu of flowers that memorial’s be made to the Salvation Army in his memory.

Condolences for the family may be made online at www.shannonfuneralhomes.com.