Charles Joseph “Joe” Arbogast passed away unexpectedly on August 10 as a result of a heart attack. He was 66 years old.
Arbogast was the co-owner and executive vice president of WillowWood, Mt. Sterling, Ohio, for the past 20 years as part of the third generation of Arbogasts to lead the family business. After serving in the U.S. Army, he began working full-time at WillowWood in 1967. In the early 1980s, Arbogast, along with his two brothers, Eddy and Robert, spearheaded the construction of WillowWood’s current facility.
Arbogast was part of several key product releases and industry firsts at the company, and is the holder of several U.S. patents, many in prosthetics. While remaining active in business strategy and key decisions, he assumed a quieter leadership role within the company in the 1990s.
From his relationship with his grandfather, William E. Arbogast, who had bilateral lower-limb amputations and was a WillowWood founder, Arbogast gained an appreciation for the daily challenges faced by individuals with amputations and held an unwavering dedication to help them regain functionality in order to live their lives comfortably and confidently in their prostheses, reported a company press release.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the Mt. Sterling Community Center, 164 East Main Street, Mt. Sterling, Ohio 43143.
