Arno Cornelius Zeyn

Arno Cornelius Zeyn- Aged 78, built his life in the fields of accounting, finance and management as a skilled and respected leader, but his family and many friends will remember him as the guy with the booming voice, the infectious, hearty laugh and for his ever-present smile.

Arno passed away in Orlando, Florida on Tuesday, January 8, 2013 after a courageous and hard-fought battle with cancer. He is survived by his beloved wife and best friend of 49 years, Barbara Jean; his cherished sons Matthew (wife Carol) and Christopher (fiancée Renee) and his grandchildren Adam, Raynee, Amber and Tiffany; brothers William ("Bill") and Gene (wife Rose) and was predeceased by his sister Mary Lou.

Arno was born in Jersey City, New Jersey to Wilhelmina and Gustav Zeyn on December 27, 1934. He graduated from Dover High School in New Jersey and Pace University in New York. He also attended Fordham Law School. He proudly served in the United States Army and the Army National Guard. He enthusiastically pursued a career as a Certified Public Accountant and he was often called upon to use his expertise to work out tough management issues during his tenure with Laventhol & Horwath in their Dallas and Washington, D.C. offices where he held the title of Managing Partner.

His sincere and heartfelt demeanor, coupled with his love of people will be fondly remembered by his family, his many friends and the employees who he mentored throughout the years. He supported them; he encouraged them to reach beyond their comfort zones and he was always there to celebrate their successes or help them learn something from their disappointments. Many will recall his words – "It's sometimes easier to ask for forgiveness than permission" – he empowered people to not be afraid to "go for it".

At various points in his career, he served as Adjunct Assistant Professor of Accounting, Finance and Management, Controller at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Director of Operations at Fairfield University, Executive Vice President and CFO of Richfield Hospitality Management and President of Ventel Manufacturing Company. He served on the Allocation Committee of the United Way of Metropolitan Chicago and on the Budget Committee of Providence Hospital in Washington, D.C., President of the Illinois CPA Foundation and also served on many committees of the NY and Illinois CPA societies.

But Arno was not known as an all work and no play kind of guy – he enjoyed his many fishing excursions into the wilds of Canada; he loved piloting his beloved Cessna and taking his "Lunchwaffe" group of friends on short trips and he loved his classic 1962 Corvette. He was able to turn that hobby into a successful business in West Chester, PA with his friends, the two Jim's. He was a founding member of the Chester County Corvette Club and he is currently a member of the Classic Corvette Club of Orlando.

He will be remembered fondly by the many people he came to know throughout his lifetime. In lieu of flowers please consider making a contribution in Arno's memory to St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital (donors@stjude.org), the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (info@jdrf.org) or Vitas Innovative Hospice Care of Maitland, Florida (vitascharityfunds.org).