Arthur Victor Schultz

Arthur Victor Schultz of Mount Vernon, Virginia — husband, father, decorated Navy Officer, and devout Catholic — passed away peacefully on September 8, 2025, at age 80, surrounded by family and graced with the last rites of the Roman Catholic Church. Born in 1945 in Attleboro, Massachusetts, and raised in East Providence, he was the son of Arthur V. Schultz and Rose M (Sepe) Schultz. He graduated from Rhode Island College in 1966. There, he met his future wife, Marianne, beginning a marriage that spanned more than 55 years. On this side of eternal life are his loving wife, son David, and grandsons Andy and Mark; twin sons Rev. Stephen and John with wife Teresa and granddaughter Mary Anastasya; daughter Anne with granddaughter Danielle; and Bella the granddog who acted like his every arrival was the Second Coming. He served as a leader of men for thirty-three years in the United States Naval Reserve. His commands included USS PLEDGE (MSO-492), an Aggressive-class mine sweeper, USS CLARK (FFG-11), an Oliver Hazard Perry-class guided missile frigate, and NAVAL SURFACE GROUP FOUR, a Frigate Squadron out of Newport, Rhode Island. Shore duty assignments included tours on the staff of the Chief of Naval Operations and Commander Naval Reserve Force. For outstanding achievements in the Navy, he was awarded the Legion of Merit with three gold stars, the Meritorious Service Medal, and the Navy Commendation Medal. It was a long and fruitful career. He was a college athlete who briefly held the Rhode Island discus record. When asked how he managed it, his simple reply was, “Good throw.” After college, he took up running. That gave way to walking outside as he got older, and eventually to the treadmill. Just last week, he took on the crowds at Costco. We’ll always have mustard. With a solid New England work ethic, he was a man who liked to get things done. Returning home after long deployments, he’d get family hugs, then mow the lawn. Years of standing midwatches under the stars gave him a unique gift: he could nap anywhere, anytime. He earned those naps. He loved to learn and held master’s degrees in History, Business Administration, and IT Management—two earned after retiring from the Navy. Art was respected by all, loved by many, and not to be trifled with. Whether on a ship or on speaker phone with Microsoft tech support, he didn't tolerate incompetence - and the world was better for it. He loved his children and did what any great dad would do: get them to soccer games, music lessons, and Mass every Sunday. He pulled off two cross-country Navy moves with a wife and four small children in tow. Both trips were in a maroon 1968 Chevy Chevelle station wagon. There were a hundred calls for potty breaks, a few fights on the back seat, but no blood and no stops for speeding. The Chevelle was loaded down, after all. He and Marianne were delighted when the grandbabies came. They dove headfirst into reading them books about hats and cats and making up silly songs. He watched them grow into their late teens and beyond. His proudest moment was the ordination of his son Stephen J. Schultz to the Catholic priesthood. He cried tears of joy on the steps of the Cathedral of Saint Thomas More, where he stood for photos with Bishop Loverde, Father Schultz, and his wife, Marianne. He loved his entire family, but was happiest at the gift he and Marianne gave to the Church: an alter Christus, a Holy Priest. While flowers fade, the service and sacrifice of holy priests endures forever. To honor his memory, please consider a gift to the Catholic Diocese of Arlington’s Seminarian Education Endowment. We miss him terribly —his determination, his discipline, his love for family, and his dedication to what is just and right. In his final voyage home, God rewarded his many virtues with fair winds and following seas.

Arthur Victor Schultz

January 16, 1945 - September 8, 2025