November 20, 2023
Arthur Eidman, III passed peacefully at Our Lady of the Lake in Baton Rouge, LA, at 1:28am on October 30th, 2023. Art was 79 years old and is survived by his loving wife Jo Carolyn Eidman, his daughter Kristen Eidman Stokes, his granddaughter Caroline Whittington Stokes, and his son in law James Neal Stokes Jr. He was the son of the late Margret Whittington Eidman and Arthur Eidman, II. Also, brother to the late Christopher Eidman. Born and raised in Greenwood, Ms.
Art and Joe lived in Smithville during the 1980s and operated the former Pizza Inn and original Sonic drive-in restaurants during those years. Jo was also a teacher at Smithville Elementary School.
Art served in the United States Army as a medic and was also classified as a sharp shooter during the Vietnam War. After serving in Vietnam, he received a degree in Business from University of Southern Mississippi. He moved to San Francisco, California and worked with Del Monte Corporation. He later moved to New Orleans and opened a waterbed factory and retail store. He and his wife also lived in Guatemala, after living on a 44 foot sail boat and traveling the world. They then moved to Smithville, TN, owning multiple restaurants. Art eventually obtained a master’s degree in teaching Spanish within a high school classroom setting. For almost two decades, Art impacted the lives of his students with his love for Mexico and South America. Art and his family traveled the world across the globe as he wanted his family to experience different cultures and to appreciate the different aspects of life from each culture. Art believed the more a person understood about one’s culture the more a person could humanize that country. Art valued global experiences as people are all the same…wanting to feel wanted and most importantly to be loved. Art loved the soul of every person he came across throughout his life and often found this relevance within his love for music. One of his last requests was to have Ripple by the Grateful Dead played at his service. If you knew him, it truly served him well.
Art’s graveside service will be held at The National Cemetery in Natchez, MS, on Monday, November 6, 2023 at 11:00 am. A celebration of life service will be held at The Pub at Dunleith from 4-6 this Sunday, November 5, 2023.