We regret to advise of the death of Leading Aircraftman George Arnold (Ret'd) of Yorkton SK on 7 December 2020 at the age of 96 years. George was a WW II veteran Firefighter with the Royal Canadian Air Force.
George was born in Stalwart SK, the oldest child with four siblings. Finishing high school in 1942, he enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force and received basic training in Toronto ON. He next underwent War Emergency Training in Moose Jaw SK where he trained as a fireman on the crash truck to deal with airport emergencies. George and was then posted to Davidson SK and, when that base was closed in 1945, he was shipped to Yorkton SK. He was posted briefly to Winnipeg and then to Portage La Prairie MB as the war was ending. George was discharged from the Canadian Forces in 1946.
After the war George tried farming seed potatoes while his wife Loraine taught school in High Bluff MB. The market was depressed so he moved back to Saskatchewan and, subsequently, to Bellevue AB where he could earn a living working in the coal mines. Initially a timber packer, he became a miner. When the mines began to peter-out, George and family moved back to the prairies. He ended up in Imperial SK where he worked as a mechanic in a garage.
George sold the family home in Imperial in 1955 and moved to the Emil Arnold family farm at Stalwart AB. He settled on the farm, quite positive it would be home for many years to come and drove a school bus to supplement the farm income. He became a grain buyer and went to work in the grain elevator in Stalwart. Unfortunately, the elevator closed in 1969 and necessitated another move for the Arnold family. George found work with Saskatchewan Government Insurance in Yorkton and the family moved once again. Later, George was successful as a salesman for Pioneer Life. He next became a school bus driver for the Yorkdale Unit and eventually moved up to be responsible for the scheduling of the buses and supervision of the drivers.
Upon retirement, George and his wife Loraine moved to The Bentley, a retirement home in Yorkton. Several years later they moved to the Crossings Retirement Home.
George was a Life Member of the Royal Canadian Legion branch in Yorkton since 1997. He was Legionnaire of the Year in 1999, received the 75th Anniversary Medal in 2001 and received his 60-Year Membership pin in 2018. George often represented the Legion in Yorkton schools at Remembrance Day Ceremonies and participated in the Remembrance Day Legion Color Party.
The Funeral Service will be held on Friday, 11 December at 1:00 pm from the Yorkton Memorial Gardens Family Centre. Regretfully, due to Covid-19 restrictions, the service will be for family only plus the Legion Color Guard. Interment will follow in the Garden of Memories at Yorkton Memorial Gardens. Relatives and friends wishing to support the family may attend the service virtually by clicking the link below beginning at 12:45 pm: https://www.facebook.com/pg/yourfamilylikeapartofours/videos
Memorial donations may be made to the Royal Canadian Legion (387 B Parkview Rd, Yorkton, SK S3N 2L4) or The Health Foundation (41 Betts Ave, Yorkton, SK S3N 1M1). Online condolences can be sent to the funeral home.
