Catlettsburg, KY - Arvil Lee Conner

Kentucky Colonel Arvil Lee Conner, age 90, lifelong resident of Catletts Creek, passed away gently from this life at King Daughter's Medical Center on Wednesday, July 29th, 2026. He was born to Addie Lee and Emma Boone Conner on December 1st, 1935 in Catlettsburg, KY. In addition to his parents, he is preceded in death by a brother, Addie Conner, Jr; sisters Judy Conner Nichols, Della Craig and Jeanetta Church, and long-time companion, Vickie Fosson. He is survived by a brother, Roger Conner of Ashland and sister, Dovie Hudson of Cincinnati; brother-in-law David Nichols of Ashland, and several nieces and nephews.

Arvil graduated from Boyd County High School near the top of the class in 1954 and felt twelve years of school was plenty. He joined the United States Army the same year and spent three years driving a tank in Germany during the Korean War. Following his military stint, he joined Armco Steel, where he worked for 33 years, mostly in Maintenance in the Basic Oxygen Department.

Arvil was also a lifetime member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks Lodge 177; lifetime member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Posts 10017 and 8850; a Golden Eagle of the Fraternal Order of Eagles Aerie 2329; a member of the American Legion Posts 76 and 325; and importantly, a member of the United Steelworkers Local 1865. Arvil Conner was a friend and a defender of friends, often saying "they will not be mistreated on my watch." The rest of the time, he'd be on his front porch, smoking a pipe and telling the newspaper, the post office, the city and anybody else how they could improve themselves. This was a family tradition!

He was driven by duty, by family, by tradition and by an intrinsic sense of fairness. "His story, like the tanks he once drove, is forged in steel—unyielding, steadfast and built to last," Larry Bailey wrote of him in the Ashland Beacon. "Arvil Conner reminds us that true patriotism lies not in fanfare, but in the quiet endurance of duty, humility and brotherhood."

Visitation will be held at Steen Funeral Home 13th Street Chapel from 6 to 8 PM on Saturday, August 1st. Graveside service with military rites will be held at 2 PM on Sunday, August 2nd at Bayless Cemetery, located on Hidden Acres Road, Catlettsburg, the family resting place he faithfully mowed until he was unable to do so. In lieu of flowers, Arvil requested that people donate to their favorite charity.

Online condolences may be made to www.steenfuneralhome.com.