Michal Wayne Arrington was born on February 19, 1947, in Denton, Texas, to Leroy and Mary Nell Arrington, the younger of their two sons.
Known to many as “Mike,” “Coach Arrington,” “Mr. Arrington,” or “GPaw,” he grew up in Denton and worked with his father in the family flooring business until graduating from Denton High School in 1965.
He then attended the University of North Texas, earning a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education in 1969.
While attending UNT, he met Jennifer “Jenny” Watson of Fairfield, Texas, a student at Texas Woman’s University in Denton. They married in 1968 and made their home in Fairfield.
After graduating from UNT in 1969, Mike began his career at Fairfield Junior High School, where he coached and taught for several years before continuing to teach seventh-grade science for the remainder of his 29-year career.
Mike served in the United States Army from 1971 to 1973 and was stationed at Fort Ord in Monterey Bay, California, where he served as a Physical Activities Specialist. After completing his military service, he returned to Fairfield Junior High School and continued the coaching and teaching career he loved.
With the arrival of his only child, Maggie Ellen Arrington, in September 1975, Mike soon decided to “retire” from coaching so he could continue focusing on teaching. Mr. Arrington was truly one of a kind. Many Fairfield alumni still remember his unforgettable classroom antics—from throwing erasers to dropping metal trash cans near sleeping students, to his famously slow movements and quirky mannerisms.
He loved making people smile and never failed to leave them wondering what in the world he had just said, why he had just done what he did, or what exactly he was thinking when he simply stood and stared in silence.
In 1991, Mike married Kathy Jo Kent of Corsicana, Texas, who became a kindergarten teacher at Fairfield Elementary School. Mike worked at Fairfield Junior High School from 1969 to 1998, and when he retired, he and Kathy both concluded their careers with Fairfield Independent School District. They spent many of their retirement years in Ruidoso, New Mexico, enjoying the cooler weather and the community they came to love. Mike and Kathy took part in many local activities, including Mike’s performance in The Music Man.
After grandchildren arrived in 2005 and 2008, the couple decided to return to Texas, where they cherished many hours entertaining and spending time with them while their parents worked.
Mike was a member of First United Methodist Church in Fairfield, loved playing golf and teaching his daughter to play, and for many years he was an avid fisherman. He also thoroughly enjoyed working in his yard, where he always seemed to have some sort of landscaping project underway.
Mike was preceded in death by his parents, Leroy and Mary Nell Arrington of Denton, Texas, and his wife, Kathy Jo Arrington.
He is survived by his loving family: his only child, Maggie Ellen Bonds, her husband, Jerry Bonds, and their two children, River Bonds and Rainy Bonds, all of Fairfield, Texas; his brother, Ronnie “Ron” Arrington and his wife, Sherry, of Denton, Texas; four nephews, Brian Arrington and his wife, Kim, of Coppell, Texas, Jason Arrington and his wife, Jessica, of Lewisville, Texas, Jeff Arrington and his wife, Pamela, of Northlake, Texas, and Patrick Hall of Denton, Texas; and his niece, Mikayla Garrison and her husband, Jordan, of Round Rock, Texas, along with many great-nieces and great-nephews.
Services will be held on Sunday, June 14, 2026, at First United Methodist Church in Fairfield, Texas. Visitation will begin at 2:00 p.m., followed by a Celebration of Life at 3:00 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be made to First United Methodist Church of Fairfield or to Round Prairie Baptist Church of Fairfield Building Fund.
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:4-7
Online guest book available www.griffin-roughton.com
Arrangements by Griffin-Roughton Funeral Home, Fairfield.
