Mary “Patti” Arnold spent 30 years covering Grand Junction sports. A mentor to many and friend to all, Arnold embodied the heart of Western Colorado sports coverage. // Courtesy of the Athletics Department.
Early in the morning on Oct. 6, 2025, former Daily Sentinel sports editor and longtime CMU sports information assistant Mary ‘Patti’ Arnold passed away suddenly. Word that she was under the weather had spread, but no one knew it was serious until it was too late. Patti consistently covered CMU athletics and high school sports in her reporting, and was even the sports information director for the Junior College Baseball (JUCO) World Series.
Patti, while she was one of the greatest sports writers I’ve ever gotten to talk to and learn from, was so much more than just a writer. She was a mentor to more journalists than you could count, always lending a listening ear, good-natured criticism or even just a joke to lighten the mood. She was a pioneer for women in sports and a staple in our community for over three decades. She was everything a journalist should strive to be: hard-working, honest and incredibly talented. She loved her dog, the Kansas City Chiefs and the Kansas Jayhawks. Above all, she loved Grand Junction. She embodied the term “ball-knower.” She has forgotten more about junior college baseball and CMU sports than the great majority of us will ever come close to knowing.
To me, Patti was someone whom I will never forget in my journey through my journalism career. She made me a better interviewer, writer and human being. Without her, I doubt I’d even be writing this. The weekend after her passing, Mesa hosted a pair of volleyball games, a charity softball game and a baseball scrimmage. Not one felt the same without Patti Arnold.
So please, when you see the people whom you see as important to you and your career, tell them thank you. I never got to thank Patti for everything she did for me, and I’m not sure the guilt from that will ever dissipate.
So thank you, Patti, for the mentorship, quick wit and genuine care for me as a journalist and as a human being.