Former Westfield Resident,
Bob Van Arnum, Passes
Robert (“Bob”) Van Arnum, loving husband of Deborah (“Debbie”) Van Arnum and father of Bradford (“Brad’) and David (“Dave”) Van Arnum, passed away on August 30, 2025. He was 66 years old.
Up to his passing, Bob was a licensed certified public accountant with Withum, Smith+Brown (Princeton, NJ). Overall, he had 40 years of experience in private and public accounting, which included managerial and partner roles with Withum, Smith+Brown and was with KPMG earlier in his career. He was a graduate of Seton Hall University with a degree in business administration and was a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accountants (NJSCPA).
Raised in Cranford, NJ, Bob was the only and dearest son of the late Marilyn Sauer Van Arnum and the late Wiliam Van Arnum, and loving brother to four sisters: Barbara Caroll, the late Susan Van Arnum, and twin sisters, Patricia and the late Pamela Van Arnum.
Bob lived a full and loving life guided by his deep spiritual faith, which was always evident in his kind, good-natured, and steadfast ways. He was an active member up to his passing at St. John XXIII Catholic Church (Fort Myers, FL) and prior to that at Saint Anthony of Padua Catholic Church (Hightstown, NJ), St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church (Skillman, NJ), and Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church and Saint Helen’s Roman Catholic Church (both, Westfield, NJ). His generous spirit touched his family, friends, and all those he encountered in meaningful and profound ways.
Bob married the love of his life, formerly Debbie Boger in 1985, and they raised their two children, Brad and Dave, in Westfield and Skillman, NJ. The couple later moved to West Windsor, NJ, and then to Fort Myers, FL. Bob was also the loving uncle to numerous nieces and nephews, including Kim Harvey, Gretchen Boger-O’Bryan (Thomas), Kirsten Boger DiSanto, Kenneth Eric Boger, Mark Harvey, and Mary Catherine Carroll.
In lieu of flowers, and in honor of his love of pets in need, donations in Bob’s name can be made to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), www.aspca.org, see here for donation page, can use bobvanarnumpets2025@gmail.com if donating online to let the family know of your donation.
Friends may visit the family on Thursday, September 11 from 3 to 7 p.m. at the Dooley Colonial Home in Westfield. A funeral mass will be celebrated on Friday, September 12 at 10 a.m. at St. Helen’s Roman Catholic Church in Westfield. A burial will follow at Fairview Cemetery in Westfield.
