Steven Spielberg’s Father died on Tuesday of natural causes at the age of 103. Arnold Spielberg, a World War II veteran, was born in 1917 and enlisted as a sergeant in December of 1941. He worked as a radio operator, and was described by his family as a friendly individual who “connected with strangers” and was able to even make “friends over the radio.”
The filmmaker’s production company ‘Amblin’ gave their deepest condolences to the Spielberg family, and shared emotional photos of the family members, “after more than a century of contributions and commitment to his family, friends, and career, Arnold Meyer Spielberg, father of Steven, Anne, Sue and Nancy Spielberg, passed away of natural causes on August 25, 2020.”
It’s reported that the 73-year-old filmmaker was with his father on the night of his death, and shared a moving message stating, “You are our heart. You are our home.” He was also said to be a genius with a passion for learning and innovating, working for General Electric as an engineer, and teaching his children to “research, expand their mind, keep their feet on the ground, but reach for the stars.”
Arnold Spielberg spent his final years learning about thermodynamics, history and even astronomy, also spending time with his family, watching movies, listening to classical music and overlooking the Pacific Palisades. A celebration of his life will be held at a later date, tentatively set for fall 2021, underlined with a Jewish tradition of unveiling the headstone amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.