OCEAN RIDGE — Harold Louis “Sonny” VanArnem III, a visionary technologist, entrepreneur, sportsman and loving father, died on June 5 in Ocean Ridge. He was 84 years old.
Born in Cincinnati, Mr. VanArnem defied convention and exceeded expectations. A gifted athlete, he played college football as a wide receiver at the University of Cincinnati before launching a groundbreaking career in technology. He began at the General Electric Computer Division, quickly rising to a top sales position, then boldly left GE to pursue a more human-centered vision of computing, founding one of the earliest computer timesharing and software firms in Silicon Valley.
Mr. VanArnem’s contributions to the tech world were pioneering. He helped launch one of the world’s first doctoral programs in computer engineering and launched ACTS Computing, an early leader in cloud computing and remote access. He later co-founded Cybergate, one of the first internet service providers in the Southeastern U.S., and later led TOTALe, Europe’s largest network integrator, to a successful IPO. Decades ahead of his time, Mr. VanArnem was already envisioning the future of the internet and artificial intelligence.
But his ambition didn’t stop at technology. He was a true Renaissance man: owner of the Detroit Express professional soccer team, which won the 1982 ASL championship; an early cable television pioneer with a vision for sports and entertainment that anticipated the rise of networks like ESPN; and a film producer, co-producing the blockbusters Love at First Bite and The Quick and the Dead.
He lived boldly and took risks, once pursuing the purchase of the Detroit Red Wings hockey team and the Pontiac Silverdome. He was also involved in auto racing, reflecting his ever-curious spirit and love for challenge.
Yet for all his professional triumphs, Mr. VanArnem’s greatest devotion was to his family. He is survived by his loving children Aleise VanArnem, Heather Chidiac (Jean Chidiac), Sean VanArnem, and his grandson, John “JJ” Chidiac. He was predeceased by four of his beloved children: Heidi, HL (Harold IV), Adam, and Max VanArnem. Each of their lives and legacies carry forward Sonny’s indomitable spirit.
Heidi, despite becoming quadriplegic after a tragic injury, became a national advocate for people with disabilities and received recognition from President Bill Clinton. HL founded the financial platform Money.net. Adam is honored with a hotel in downtown Delray Beach, and Max will be memorialized through a future project named “The Maxwell.”
Mr. VanArnem bore unimaginable loss with grace and faith, never ceasing to lead, give back, or live with passion. He was a man who could fill the lives of many and, in fact, lived a life that would take several men to duplicate. His story is one best told in his own words, in his published memoir, Sonny Side Up.
Mr. VanArnem’s legacy is etched into the lives he touched, the industries he transformed and the family he cherished. He was a pioneer, a dreamer, and above all, a father whose love knew no bounds.
A funeral Mass was held June 13 at St. Vincent Ferrer Catholic Church in Delray Beach. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to The Avenue Church or to a charity of your choice.
— Submitted by the family
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