“Florace” was carefully written on the blackboard, as her first grade teacher had instructed each child to write his or her name on the board.

The teacher tried to correct the pronunciation and spelling, saying, “No, you mean Florence.” “No, this is my name,” the young girl stated emphatically. The teacher, not to be deterred by this uppity first grader, called Florace’s mother that evening and told her she wanted Mom to correct her daughter and have her say and spell the name correctly. Her mom soon set that teacher straight.

Florace Lockwood Arnold has had connections with Mathews and Gloucester counties from her earliest years. Ancestors from England are buried in Abingdon Parish. Her husband’s parents lived on Gwynn’s Island at their home at North Bay Haven Drive. In between tours of duty, Florace, husband Tom, and their four children lived with them. They were there as often as possible. Growing up, daughter Susan said she was probably at the Islander daily with her girlfriend.

Chuckling, Susan related this story about her mom: Florace had told Susan to go retrieve a ball from the water where the children were playing. It was headed out to sea. Susan and the others were looking at each other and then at the water filled with stinging nettles. They were thinking, “Punishment or nettles?” They said no to the ball; they would take whatever punishment Mom would mete out.

Well, Florace was not letting that ball go farther out, so she got into a small plastic boat the children had and gingerly worked her way out to the ball. Then the boat sank. It was only about three feet of water, but Mom had some choice words for the kids as she waded back through the nettles with boat and ball in tow.

Florace was born in Richmond. She attended John Marshall High School, where at just 15 years old, she met Tom, who was only 17. Tom was fun and fun-loving.

Once a teacher asked Florace if she was trying to break up Tom and another girl, supposedly a girlfriend. This “girlfriend” turned out to be just a friend of his. It gave them a good laugh. Florace and Tom each had classes across from the main school building where they had to walk each day through a tunnel to get to the other side of campus. They really had their “Tunnel of Love.”

Tom went on to Cornell University in Upstate New York, graduating with a degree in electrical engineering, and Florace continued her education going on to graduate from Temple University in Philadelphia with a degree in music education. Speaking of her time at Temple, Florace affirmed, “It was perfect for me.” She later taught music to children from the U.S. and Belgium, to Ethiopia and Eritrea in Africa. At Temple University she studied under the masterful choral director/conductor Eugene Ormandy. Tom continued his education, earning his master’s in 1961 from the University of Arizona.

Florace sang with the Philadelphia Orchestra as they performed “King David” and other selections. Florace Arnold is an accomplished musician. She had played viola since fourth grade but when living in Brussels, Belgium, she took more lessons there. She spoke of singing soprano in the church choir “forever.”

Locally, she has played with the talented group “Strings and Things’’ through the years. On Good Friday of 2023, she gave a concert at Abingdon Episcopal Church on her hammered dulcimer.

As a military wife, Florace Arnold has moved and lived in many different places. She and her family have lived all across the U.S., from the East Coast to West, from North to South. From Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey, Florida, Arizona, California and beyond, the Arnolds have made their homes.

Among their overseas homes, they lived in Asmara, Eritrea (previously a part of Ethiopia). At the Officers’ Club there, Florace and Tom, at this time a lieutenant colonel, each individually were immensely honored to shake the hand of Haile Selassie, then Emperor of Ethiopia. It was considered an almost unprecedented honor to shake hands with this esteemed royal; even if his own son had come into the room with Haile Selassie, he would have had to bow down and kiss his father’s feet. This was in 1956. The Arnolds lived in Africa for two and a half years, until 1959.

While living in Belgium, Florace once again taught music. At this time, the Arnolds had a pair of Siamese kittens which were quite mischievous. At one point, one of the kittens became lost. The maid found it in their bed covered up. One Easter Sunday, as they were overseas, Florace was at 8,000 feet, standing on the bank of the Suez Canal singing Easter carols. “Quite an experience,” she remembered fondly. It was truly a high moment.

In Eritrea, Florace once taught Christmas carols to the children of an orphanage. She spent only a couple days with them that Christmas season, but she was asked to return the next year. She did return and played Christmas carols on the piano. The children remembered and sang carols together in English, “a wonderful memory” for Florace. “I had goosebumps, because they had made it their own. It was one of the most moving things I’ve participated in,” she declared.

In Eritrea, both kittens were hot on the trail of locusts which were everywhere. Florace said it was like a Biblical plague. The cats would pounce on the locusts outside and stun them, then bring them inside and deposit them under their bed. Of course, the locusts were still alive. These kittens were cunning, crafty creatures. Florace winced as she described how the locusts would crunch under her Volkswagen tires as she drove along.

Florace flew over to Africa but returned via ship, quickly adding, “It was not a cruise ship.” She had small children to attend to and the two Siamese kittens, one of which was lost on the ship for a short while. She had to leash train them before they could board the ship to cross the Atlantic. She taught them to walk on a leash at the hotel where she stayed with her entourage for a week before they were shipped out. This was so that the kittens could be out of their crates for a time and walk with her onboard for exercise. Florace had much to contend with.

As a young child, Florace was often sickly. Once she developed pneumonia from a gas leak. Her family was on their way back home to Virginia from Kentucky where they had attended Florace’s grandmother’s funeral. The doctor wanted her to stay in Kentucky to regain her strength, but they all returned to Richmond. Another time in Florida, Florace discovered she was allergic to a treat she absolutely loved—honey—and not just any honey. Orange blossom honey was the very best, and Florace indulged in its rich, sweet flavor. Then she discovered she was allergic to it and could no longer eat her favorite delicacy.

Florace was with Tom on R&R in Hawaii in the spring of 1971; then in September ’71 Tom returned home from a Vietnam deployment and was stationed at Fort Monroe, his last post. The couple bought their home in Hayes and moved in Sept. 12, 1972. Tom retired from military service two years later.

After his time in the Army, Tom opened an electronics business in Gloucester Point. Three of the children (Larry, Vivian and Tommy) worked in the store, learning from their father. Tommy managed the store for the last several years, until 1995. Florace speaks fondly of having grands and now great-grandchildren.

Florace mentioned how she never expected her life would be so diverse from what she envisioned. At one point, she taught music at Grafton School in York County to students in second through sixth grades.

With her guidance, her students began to learn and improve their musical abilities. However, there was one little boy who did not respond to any of her teaching. He simply sat there. But one day Florace put on a country music record.

Then she took two spoons and began to play spoons. The little boy enjoyed the spoons, as she soon discovered. So Florace went to the cafeteria and asked for 60 spoons. Soon all the children were playing spoons.

At Grafton, Florace was a “floating teacher,” where she pushed a heavy upright piano from room to room, not an easy task. She had all her sheet music and supplies on a shelf that she had had made for her with the piano, so she could maneuver better.

Florace has accomplished so much in her long life. Besides her music career and her family, she has other areas where she has been most successful. She is a Master Gardener, and recently had a gardening shed built for her hobby.

She had her picture taken smiling as she is in a lift 50 feet in the air with a drill in hand, ready to assist in the work. Her yard is filled with plants of all types. She speaks of her birds as though they are trained. She says they scoop up the seeds she and Susan put out, and then they take the seeds over near the water to eat where many are dispersed, and seedlings and small plants then emerge from the birds’ work.

Her favorite flowers are a specific rose, the Ballerina rose. These are a smaller rose, a very delicate pink, as a ballerina might be. She proudly showed off two bushes that are currently in their second blooming.

Jewelry making is another delightful pastime Florace has enjoyed. She has created lovely necklaces and bracelets, but when her husband became ill, she set aside some of her work. Sadly, Tom passed away 18 months ago. From her remarks, one can easily see that their life together was full and definitely adventurous. Her children did not let their parents’ lives diminish in adventures as they retired. They sent their mom and dad on several trips for their enjoyment: In Jamaica they sat on Bob Marley’s bed. (Legend has it that if a woman sits on Marley’s bed that she is guaranteed to get pregnant.) In the Virgin Islands, Tom did not want to leave but Florace said, “No, we will go back home.” Their final trip together was a Windjammer cruise to various Caribbean islands.

Recently, Florace began writing her memoirs. She is hand writing in beautiful cursive in her notebook filled with descriptions. She has the first chapter already complete. Florace is still active and energized at 90 years young.

Florace Lockwood Arnold is obviously an exceptionally talented individual, but she is so much more. Her personality and love for life and all it entails shines in her eyes and smiling face. It has been a delight and true pleasure to meet and get to know this very special lady.