Obituary of Grahame Arnott

Arnott, Grahame -  of Grimsby, Ontario passed away peacefully in his 86th on January 12th 2021 with his loving wife by his side.

He was survived by his wife Lorein Arnott (neé Davis) and his children Alison Laharty (neé Arnott) and Dave, Shauna Tuyp (neé Arnott), Geoffrey Arnott and Camille (neé Herrera).  Loved by his grandsons Noah Tuyp and Eli Arnott.

He was born in Bournemouth England in 1934 and had two siblings, Michael and Jane, (predeceased).  His parents were John and Hilda Arnott who met in Ceylon (Sri Lanka) and lived much of their lives in Southeast Asia and India after serving in WW1.  

He grew up for part of his life attending a boarding school in England.  He later moved with his parents to the Kolar Gold fields south of Bangalore in India and attended school there.  He would often tell his family about the beautiful scenery as he rode the train around the county. He told stories of the tigers that slept in the trees and kept an eye on him and his friends as they walked to school (this part is most certainly fiction, but his family loved to believe his stories).  

He joined the Royal Marines and fought terrorism in Liybia in the 50’s and thankfully avoided the boats to Vietnam, but watched in horror as many of those brave soldiers returned with so many serious injuries.  In the early 60's he moved to the US  to attend College at Cornell University in Ithaca, initially studying Chemistry.  He went on to complete a degree in Architecture at Ryerson University in Toronto. 

He met his wife at a wedding and they were married in 1966 in Vineland, Ontario.  He worked in various roles in the field of Architecture before he became a professor.  He then went on to study at Harvard and McMaster.  A voracious learner for his entire life he was always able to teach his children interesting things.  His final degree was in Art History and his kids would love to go to the MET with him or the AGO.  He would often draw a crowd around a gallery as he described the significance of each painting, artist and art period.  

Growing up he would often put his kids to bed by telling them his magical stories that always included their pets.  His kids still remember these wild stories with a smile.  He was a kind and gentle man who rarely raised his voice.  He taught his kids to appreciate musicals, the arts, flying, traveling and photography.  He taught them to fly kites, a skill they are sure he picked up in India as a kid, he loved John Denver, and Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals.  He was a beautiful watercolour painter and loved animals. 

He was always kind and friendly to people in the community and his kids always appreciated that about him, treating people with kindness is a strong value that both he and Lorein passed to their children.

Grahame will be missed, but his family is grateful that he is in glory with the Lord. 

A private family graveside service will be held Jan. 18th. in Grimsby.

For those who wish, memorial contributions to Rose Cottage Visiting Volunteers would be sincerely appreciated by the family.  All donation information is available on their website. www.rosecottagevolunteers.com