Arthur Lane 1916-2015

Arthur Lane, 1916-2015. Fencing Teacher of the Highest Order

Only recently learned that Arthur died last July peacefully in his sleep at home in Berkeley, Ca. A graduate of UC Berkeley, US Army officer in WWII, and lifelong practitioner of the fencing arts, Arthur was a living institution and a link to a golden era of fencing. Arthur studied under Eric Funke in Berkeley and San Francisco, fenced competitions at Eduardo Visconti's club in North Beach, helped Han Halberstadt move into his salle, and sparred with Helene Mayer. After the war Arthur moved down to Los Angeles and studied under Aldo Nadi and Ralph Faulkner. (If you look closely, you can see Arthur as a stunt double in Scaramouche.) Back in the Bay Area, Arthur established his own fencing school, the Fencing Guild, in the 50s, coached at UC Berkeley, and turned out many notable students, including Ursula K. Le Guin and Tommy Angell. Arthur took time off from fencing to raise a family and worked as a researcher in an institute that studied on  China. After retirement, he returned to teaching fencing at the Pacific Fencing Club, Oakland Daggers, and was a beloved coach at College Prepatory School in Oakland, where he retired nine years ago, making him the oldest PE teacher in California. Arthur stressed fencing excellence and versatility and was masterful in his patient guidance. He will be missed by all who knew him, and his family, son Bruce and daughter Maya, and seven nieces and nephews.