Ralph David Arnold

Ralph David Arnold                                                                                                                                                                                                    1949 – 2025                                                                                                                                                                                                          Engineer • Inventor • Musician • Adventurer

Ralph David Arnold, 76, passed away peacefully at home on November 3, 2025, after a long and courageous journey with cancer.

Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Ralph lived a remarkable life devoted to discovery, invention, and adventure. A veteran of the U.S. Army, he served during the Vietnam era in jungle operations in Panama before dedicating his career to environmental science and engineering.

Over more than 30 years at the University of South Carolina, Ralph contributed to the Departments of Computer Science and Geology, developing innovative programs and instruments that advanced research and inspired generations of scientists.

As the founder of Scientific Computer Instruments (SCI), Ralph designed and built groundbreaking instruments used in groundwater and oceanographic research worldwide. His work helped advance scientific understanding of Earth’s natural systems and fostered collaboration among researchers across the globe.

A lifelong pilot and world traveler, Ralph’s curiosity and courage extended far beyond the laboratory. He was one of the founding members of Doolittle Field Airport in St. Matthews, South Carolina, where he built his own hangar and several experimental airplanes by hand. Over the years, he flew a wide range of aircraft and logged countless hours across the United States, often combining his love of flight with his research and spirit of exploration. He also flew his plane to the Bahamas for expeditions, navigated narrowboats through the canals of the United Kingdom, and journeyed to the farthest reaches of the planet.

On Christmas Eve 2022, he and his wife, Anne Catharine (Cathy) Blake, were married on an Antarctic ice shelf by the captain of the National Geographic Endurance — a fitting tribute to their shared spirit of exploration and love of adventure.

Outside his professional achievements, Ralph was a gifted musician, craftsman, and patron of the arts. Music filled his days — whether tuning his guitars, repairing amplifiers, or experimenting with different instruments. He believed creativity and curiosity were two sides of the same gift.

Ralph was also known for his kindness and generosity. He was always ready to lend a hand, offer a story, or share his knowledge. His inventive mind was matched by a genuine heart — a rare balance of intellect and humanity.

Ralph is survived by his loving wife, Cathy Blake; daughter, Leianna Arnold (Bryan); stepdaughter,  Amanda Henze (Niels); stepsons, Eric Blake (Amanda) and Adam Blake; grandchildren, Aurora, Anaïs, Amalie, and Zack; and sisters Laura Threatt, Patricia Thigpen, Kathleen Arnold, and Susan Marie Mullen. He is also remembered with love by his many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Garnet Jackson Arnold and Alberta Marie Birmingham Arnold, his brother Gregory Arnold, and sister Carol Arnold.

A Celebration of Life service, officiated by the Rev. Dr. Mark Bredholt, will be held in the chapel at McAlister-Smith Funeral Home, 200 State Street, West Columbia, on Thursday, November 13, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. The family will greet friends following the service.

Ralph’s final resting places will honor his lifelong bond with the natural world — the sea, the ice, and the forest.

As he left this life listening to jazz, it was like the tide receding into the horizon — a quiet surge of light in the air, a free spirit returning to the elements he loved.