John passed away after a short battle with cancer surrounded by family on Saturday November 23rd, 2024 at the age of 68 years. Loving father to daughter, Victoria (Chouaib) and son Christie as well as granddaughter Hana. He will be dearly missed by brother David (Beth), close friend and former spouse Alex Milroy, and fondly remembered by many extended family members, friends, and colleagues.
Born in Montreal, QC to the late Thomas Christie Arnold from Bermuda and Marie Blanche Louise Proulx from Chicoutimi, QC. John’s formative years were across Geneva, Toronto, Ottawa, New York State, and St. Catharines, before graduating from Mount Allison University in 1979 with a Bachelor of Commerce.
John spent the majority of his career with the Liberal Party of Canada where he recently celebrated his 30th anniversary of service having risen to Senior Director of Regulatory Compliance & Administration. He took great fulfillment from his work and the community there, having no desire to retire even after achieving this milestone. While John loved the contractual and administration work he especially enjoyed the social aspects of his position, and could often be found at local & national events and networking opportunities. John was a mainstay of the LPC organization, and his presence will be missed by all those who had the opportunity to work with him.
John was an excellent cook and had the ability to fix almost anything. In his spare time he enjoyed doing renovations to his home, tending to the garden, spending time with family, and going on long daily walks. His house was a testament to his abilities as he transformed a fixer-upper into a beautiful, thoughtfully designed home. John loved to travel, and would often be joined by his son on trips, typically including at least one winery destination. As a dedicated grandfather John always showed up to cheerleading competitions and horse shows to support his beloved Hana. John was also a devoted son, who diligently supported his mother Louise until she reached the end of her own journey last year.
Family and friends are invited to a Celebration of Life on Saturday, December 14th from 3-5pm at Beechwood Cemetery (280 Beechwood Ave. Ottawa, ON).
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the Bruyere Foundation, 43 Bruyere Street, Ottawa, ON, K1N 5C8.
Digital Guestbook
Doug Ferguson
Martin MacLachlan
I can only begin to imagine how many generations of Liberal Party of Canada members and directors John had to educate. I was one of them, and I remember well, with thanks, his patience and expertise. He was a great servant of the Party.
My condolences to his family and friends and colleagues.
Dan Arnold
I was saddened to learn about John's passing. He was a hard worker but always had time to mentor and share time with younger staff at the office, myself included. He was an all around decent person, and fun to be around. Though there was no relation, we had a runing joke of him being my "brother".
This is a big loss for everyone who knew him.
Pierre Martin
I remember John from my younger days (while I was a Young liberal). I was visiting the office regularly. He was an exceptional numbers guy, and I had the privilege of chatting with him regularly. He was one of the people who inspired me to consider pursuing an MBA, and he was absolutely right. Thank you, John. You will be deeply missed. My tough are now with the family, my sympathies!
Doris Robbins
What a true treasure to all of us, whether working with John day to day or occasionally, as I did. John was a gentle man, a great mentor, and someone who always took calls and questions, supplying the right answer every time. Over almost 10 years, I relied on John to supply the right answers and explanations. I am so shocked to hear of his quick passing. Rest well, good and faithful servant. 🌹
Doug Kirkpatrick
I am stunned by the news of John’s passing, he always seemed to me as the personification of the Everest bunny, always on action. He made a tremendous contribution to the LPC, ensuring that operations and contracts were efficient and compliant with the law and the financial constraints that faced the organization.
I often encountered John on his daily march down Bank Street, briefcase in hand and we had many good chats .
To John’s family, my heartfelt condolences on your loss and please live on knowing that John was a man of honour who made a difference. Stay well
Catherine Porter
I have been lamenting the sudden and untimely passing of my friend, John. Our friendship blossomed while working together on the 2018 LPC convention in Halifax, and in the years that followed, our connection endured. Whenever I was in town, we would often meet, sharing a good meal, a fine glass of wine, and conversations that were always meaningful.
John was, without a doubt, a man of exceptional kindness and compassion—engaging, thoughtful, and ever the epitome of grace and class. My heartfelt condolences extend to his family during this profoundly difficult time.
Monique Trottier
I had the pleasure of working with John for almost 20 years. I was so sad to hear of his passing. My deepest condolences to his family. He was a true gentleman and a dedicated professional. I relied on his vast expertise and experience for our many convention contracts and no one was better at dotting his i’s and crossing his t’s. He was the Party’s corporate memory. He will be greatly missed! RIP my friend.
Karen Wiersma
I had the pleasure of getting to know John over the last several years and always enjoyed our conversations about life, good food and wine. He made many friends in the tourism industry and will be missed. Beautifully written story of his life. Sending my condolences to his friends and family. Cherish the memories made ♥
Daniela Caputo
We are just shocked.
John was a wonderful friend and colleague.
We are tremendously saddened to learn of John's death … ohhhh myyyy...
All we can think of is what a WONDERFUL soul he was … always was a pleasure to see and chat with him. A true true gentleman. For us he was the ONE that was our sounding board. His honesty and advice was tremendous and that wit of his… Ohhh the tremendous enjoyment & laughs we shared …
Over the years we had many occasions to meet, and catch up .. over meals and/or drinks while sharing/comparing our ‘war stories’.. you will be MISSED!!
What a GREAT pure heart and fabulous dry sense of humour.
Our deepest condolences to his family, risposa in pace caro amico Giovanni = rest in peace, friend.
Danie and Tony xoxo
I was saddened to learn of John’s passing. I worked with him during my term as party president, and remember discussing with him the launch of the Victory Fund and its importance to the future of the party. John was a party stalwart; he knew his stuff, and we all relied on him to help us do things right. May he rest in peace.