Arthur Colwell, Jr.

Arthur R. Colwell, Jr., 94, of Sun City, AZ passed away April 28, 2018. He was born March 27, 1924 at Presbyterian Hospital, Chicago to Arthur R. Sr., M.D. and Jeanne Haskins. He had a sister, Betty (four children), brother, John (four children) and sister, Mary Ann (three children). Art grew up playing music, including violin and jazz piano. He attended Northwestern University, graduating in 1945 with a B.S. and in 1947 with a B.M. He graduated from Northwestern University in 1948. He earned an MA in Physiology from University of Toronto in 1950. Art served as a Captain in the U.S. Army Hospital, Kyoto, Japan from 1951-53. Art met Betty Jane Norton while doing his internship at Abington Memorial Hospital, PA. They married in September, 1948. Art and Bejay had four children: Christina J.(2 children), Arthur R. III (2 children), E.David (3 children) and Julia B. They lived in Wilmette, IL where Art maintained a private practice, served as an attending physician at Evanston Hospital, and was an Associate Professor of Medicine at Northwestern Medical School. Art’s distinguished career included being a Fellow in the American College of Physicians and a Diplomate in the American Board of Internal Medicine. Art and Bejay moved to Sun City, AZ in 1979. Art established a successful practice with specialties in rheumatology and diabetes until he retired in 1993. Bejay died in March, 1998. Art married Joyce Naylor in May, 1999. They moved into Royal Oaks Lifecare Community in October, 2006. Joyce died in November, 2014. Art’s greatest love was playing jazz piano, astonishing people with his amazing ability of playing just about any song by ear. From age 8 to just a few weeks before his death, he created jazz ensembles where he delighted in jamming with his fellow musicians. Services will be held at 2:15 p.m. on Saturday, May 26, 2018 at Memorial Park Cemetery in Skokie, IL. In lieu of flowers, please donate to the Arthur Colwell Scholarship at the Center for Musical Arts, 200 E. Baseline, Lafayette, CO, 80026.