Sanford Lee “Sonny” Varnell Jr., a former Arkansas Game and Fish Commissioner and long-time public servant, died on September 21 at his home in St. Paul, Madison County, following a lengthy illness. He was 87.
Varnell, appointed to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission in May 2003 by then-Governor Mike Huckabee, served until June 30, 2008. He completed the term of Bill Ackerman, who resigned from the commission in 2003. During his tenure, Varnell played a key role in initiatives such as the establishment of the Youth Shooting Sports Program, the creation of the Moro Big Pine Natural Area Wildlife Management Area, and the construction of four nature centers across the state.
Governor Huckabee, who praised Varnell for his deep knowledge of Arkansas’s natural resources, had a long-standing friendship with him dating back to Huckabee’s time in Pine Bluff during the 1980s. “Sonny Varnell and I have spent many hours fishing together on the Arkansas River, Bull Shoals Lake, Lake Ouachita, and numerous other lakes and streams across this state,” Huckabee said in a previous statement, commending Varnell’s analytical mindset and even temperament.
In recognition of Varnell’s contributions, the Commission voted in November 2008 to name part of the Gene Rush Wildlife Management Area in his honor. The area, known as the Sonny Varnell Richland Valley Elk Conservation Area, serves as a testament to his dedication to conservation efforts.
Born on February 2, 1939, at Lake Dick in Jefferson County, Varnell grew up in Pine Bluff, where he graduated from Pine Bluff High School in 1957. He pursued higher education at the University of Arkansas at Monticello for two years before earning a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville in 1963. That same year, he married Rachel Corienne Hawkins and began his career with International Paper Co. in Pine Bluff, where he worked until his retirement in 1997.
After retiring, Varnell and his wife moved to St. Paul, where they built a home and became active members of the community. Varnell served as the chief of the St. Paul Volunteer Fire Department, was a deacon and teacher at First Baptist Church of Elkins, and contributed to the development of rural water infrastructure in Madison County.
In addition to his service with the Game and Fish Commission, Varnell served on the Arkansas Pollution Control and Ecology Commission, further demonstrating his commitment to the state’s natural resources.
He is survived by his wife, Corienne, and their sons, Steven and Randy.