Colorado Mesa University and the City of Grand Junction lost a beloved member of the community over the weekend as long-time Colorado Mesa beat writer and staff member Patti Arnold passed away unexpectedly.
 
She covered Maverick Athletics since 1985 as journalist for The Daily Sentinel newspaper and after her retirement just a few years ago began working in the CMU Athletic Communications Office on a part-time basis. Arnold was also heavily involved in the JUCO World Series as a committee member, Home Run Alley recipient (2011), and writer, covering CMU Head Baseball Coach Chris Hanks, when he was a player in the 1988 tournament.
 
Patti won several awards for her accomplishments in journalism in the community and for her service on several committees including Hall of Fame Committees with Colorado Mesa and the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. Everyone pointed out her integrity and honesty as a writer.
 
She was inducted into the Colorado Mesa Hall of Honor in 2013 as a friend of athletics, but she was more than that. The teams she covered at Colorado Mesa, both as a beat writer and a staff member, considered her part of the team as she attended practices and workouts, as recent as the past two weeks.
 
Arnold made it known her love for the Kansas Jayhawks, the Kansas City Royals, the Kansas City Chiefs, and the Mavericks.
 
Funeral or Memorial services are pending but she will be laid to rest next to her parents in Brookfield, Missouri.
 
"Patti doesn't do this for a job, she writes about CMU athletics because she loves it. Patti feels people's emotions and her stories always have a human touch."
2006-09 Interim Athletic Director Jamie Hamilton during her Hall of Honor induction
 
"I really admired Patti. I always enjoyed her interviews and our conversations. She was a great friend and supporter of our program. She took a special interest in our players, wrote excellent stories, and had a great feel for covering our team. She was a real pro. I will miss her writing, but more than that, I will miss someone who became a great friend."
Head Baseball Coach Chris Hanks

"As a new coach, I feel very fortunate to have gotten a few interactions with Patti over the last few months. Whether chatting in an interview or just saying hello in passing - she always made me feel at home and proud to be a Maverick. She will be truly missed."
Head Volleyball Coach Austin Albers
 
"I had only gotten to know Patti briefly from our media scrums but I always appreciated that she was interested in what we had to say about Men's Lacrosse, especially since it's not an overly popular sport in this area. Her presence at the media scrums was something I always felt proud of - made it feel like more people cared about covering the sport here in town and she always had great questions about the team and our program. 
 
I didn't know her well but I did know she loved the Chiefs - something I picked up in media scrums when sharing my love of the Eagles. She didn't let me forget when I promised an Eagles win over the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII."
Head Men's Lacrosse Coach Troy Moyer
 
"Patti was an All Star at what she did. Her coverage for CMU and the Grand Valley was unbelievable. We were truly spoiled on how she made players, coaches, and teams feel. She is one of a kind, and her passion for CMU will be truly missed."
Head Women's Basketball Coach Taylor Wagner
 
"Patti welcomed women's wrestling with open arms and was the first person who called to do an interview when they announced the hiring of me. I am grateful for her enthusiasm and excitement during our media scrums. She will be missed by many of us in the wrestling community."
Head Women's Wrestling Coach Travis Mercado
 
"Sorry to hear about Patti's passing.  She was a true professional and passionate about her work and CMU.  I've known her since I entered the league in 2002.  She was always positive and knowledgeable about all the teams in the league.  She will be missed by many."
UCCS Associate Athletic Director Sarah Meier
 
"Patti was a true supporter of athletics and an iconic member of the Grand Valley media. She was one of the most passionate fans of Mesa athletics. If there was an athletic event, she was there to cover it with class, passion and integrity. She was always a popular figure at our events, which she covered with a special perspective. She was a true professional and an excellent reporter and writer. Patti was a special friend, I always admired her work, and she will be greatly missed."
Associate Head Baseball Coach Sean McKinney
 
"Patti was a true professional, a brilliant writer and most importantly, one of the kindest people I have ever met.  She was a wonderful mentor and colleague and friend in the 30-plus years that I have known and worked with her.  Grand Junction and CMU have lost a great one and I am saddened with this news."
Sports Information Assistant Chris Day
 
"I knew Patti from the time I started as a sportswriter until the time I got out. We shared coverage many times from each side of the Divide. She was a true pro. We even shared a couple of laughs a few weeks ago when I was in Grand Junction. We both were at the CSU Pueblo-Mesa game, but neither of us was working as a sportswriter. It was great. She will be missed."
Former Pueblo Chieftain Sports Editor & CSU Pueblo Broadcaster Joe Cervi
 
"I'm so sad, Patti was an amazing human and such a huge advocate for female athletes on the Western Slope."
Sportswomen of Colorado Executive Director Jen Anderson