Arthur E. Book
1919 – 2016

AGAWAM – Arthur E. Book, 97, of Silver Lake Drive died Friday at home surrounded by his loving family and caregivers. He was a communicant of Sacred Heart Church in Feeding Hills and a former member of the Holy Name Society. He lived most of his life in West Springfield, graduating from West Springfield High School in 1937 and moved to Agawam in 1970. A toolmaker by trade, he was a general Foreman at the former Roper & Broderick Mechanical Engineers Company, prior to retiring from Precision Products in 1985. He also worked at Perkins Machine & Gear. He was active in many clubs in the area including, the Agawam Senior Center Chapter 1, the Men's Pool Club, the Senior Golf League, the Dante Club, and was a member of the Stigmatine Chapter 99. He served as a Master Sergeant for the United States Army's 74 Engineer Light Pontoon Company and received two Battle Stars in Northern France and Rhineland. He also participated in the Battle of the Bulge and Remagen. Arthur learned to fly at Walt O'Connor's seaplane base and has had his pilot license since 1946. His wife Ernestine (Tassinari) Book died in 2004. He leaves his daughter Karen Daponde, a son Arthur "Butch" Book Jr. and his wife Carolina; five grandchildren; ten great grandchildren; a great great grandson; several nieces and nephews and his companion Lindelee Davis. Besides his wife he was predeceased by his sister Arlene Arnett. The family would like to thank Mercy Home Care and Hospice for the support and loving care provided. The funeral will be held at the Agawam Curran-Jones Funeral Home Thursday at 11:30am with Liturgy in Sacred Heart Church at 1:00pm followed by burial in the Massachusetts Veteran's Memorial Cemetery. Visiting hours will be held prior to the funeral from 11:30 – 12:30pm. For more details please visit curranjones.com. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to a charity of one's choice.