Arnie Roseman
Arnie Roseman, a long time member of the Bicycle Club of Philadelphia and the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia ,died on June 15th at the age of 88. He was a retired Colonel in the US Army Reserve and an active bicyclist well into his 80s. He volunteered for many Bicycle Coalition events, including Bike Philly, where he was the rest stop Captain at Spring Mill Station and the Freedom Valley Bike Ride. He also led BCP’s Adopt A Highway program for Yellow Springs Road near Valley Forge NHP.
Bike Chester County member Mike Broennle offered a few words about how he got to know Arnie:
I think it was in the spring of 2002 when I caught up with Arnie and Steve Trobovic who were scouting a ride on the then unfinished Perkiomen Trail. Arnie & Steve usually paired as ride leaders, initially with the Bicycle Club of Philadelphia, then co-listing rides with the Brandywine Bicycle Club in Chester and Montgomery Counties and beyond. As he matured Arnie usually rode sweep and got to a point where his trusty bike, “ole Blue, ” needed to walk up the steeper hills.
I learned Arnie was a committed cyclist, using his bike for most of his transportation needs as well as for recreation.
Arnie was a steadfast volunteer. I recall seeing him staffing the Spring Mill rest stop on the Bicycle Coalition’s Freedom Tour. He coordinated the Brandywine Bicycle Club’s Yellow Spring Road cleanups west from the covered bridge in Valley Forge Park after Steve Warren, preceding or following Steve T’s turn. Perhaps his last cycling volunteer job was as an inaugural member of Tredyffrin Township’s Trail Watch program on the Chester Valley Trail. Arnie participated in two BCGP walks along the proposed alignment for Montgomery County’s 4 mile section of the Chester Valley Trail. Sadly multiple delays obtaining right of way and final design for this trail resulted in him not seeing the final product. He did get to cycle in Europe on a second hand Bike Friday.
When balance issues kept him from cycling on two wheels he became the third owner of a 2004 Catrike Speed recumbent trike. We last rode our trikes together in 2016 on the Chester Valley Trail.
Arnie was sufficiently facile in bike maintenance to where he volunteered with Neighborhood Bike Works in an outreach program in Norristown.
For many years he was a JOE, Judge of Elections, overseeing his local polling place.
His good friend Steve Trobovic added this:
“He was a dedicated cyclist and all around civic volunteer. He was a kind, caring person. He was very generous with his time, volunteering for any project that needed help. We spent uncountable hours together, planning routes and leading innumerable bike rides. He was a true Mensch. I will miss him very much.”
Arnie’s funeral will be June 27th at 11:30AM at the Indiantown Gap National Cemetery, Annville, PA. There will be a memorial gathering on Tuesday, June 26 6:30 PM at TJs’ Restaurant & Drinkery in Paoli, PA – located along Business Route 30/Lancaster Ave. RSVP to David Roseman –
djroseman*at*msn.com