Obituary of Dennis Joseph Arthur Arsenault

The family of Dennis Arsenault sadly announces that Dennis passed away on December 11th, 2025, at the Dr. Everett Chalmers Hospital in Fredericton New Brunswick. He was born on April 18th, 1941, to the late Joseph and Hilda Arsenault in Summerside, Prince Edward Island.

Dennis often said he was a fortunate man, blessed with three great loves: his devoted wife, Jeanette; his daughters, Nicole, Ann and Trina, and the Canadian Armed Forces, especially the Armoured Corps. He proudly served as a Strathcona, a Hussar, and as his family most fondly remembers, a Dragoon.

Born in Summerside, Prince Edward Island, he was the second brother of 6 children and came from a large network of relatives on the Island. His father was a farm hand, and his mother worked in the houses and in the fields. Dennis enjoyed sports; in his younger days he played both baseball and was a goalie in the Summerside Hockey Team. As a young soldier he boxed and played hockey in the military league. Dennis left the Island as a young man and joined the Canadian Armed Forces, where he served for more than 35 years. In the early sixties he was stationed in Calgary, and there he met Jeanette, a young woman who had gone out west looking for work and adventure.

Dennis became part of the United Nations Force in Cyprus in 1964, the first force on the ground and shortly followed by other forces, including the Swedish UN force. Dennis often told the story of buying Jeanette and his wedding rings in a small alleyway in Lebanon during a visit at the time. He was a good storyteller, so it got pretty colorful. A few years later, after their marriage in 1965, Jeanette and Dennis were posted with the Canadian Armed Forces to Germany, where the first of their three daughters was born.

Dennis had a great family life and an interesting career. The family had two postings overseas to Iserlohn, Germany in the sixties and Lahr, Germany in the seventies. They took the opportunity with their young family to travel around in Europe, and his girls remember his ring finger tapping on the roof of the car through the open window as they drove through Italy, Scotland and elsewhere. Dennis told stories about his courses up in the far north where military maneuvers in the snow meant snow blindness was an issue. And how he along with 40 Officers and NCOs underwent intensive training exercises with the Australian Army’s Jungle Training Centre at Canungra in Queensland. Moving cautiously through the mangrove swamp, learning jungle warfare and sometimes moving carpet snakes off jungles paths, and roads in front of them.

When Dennis was stationed in Germany, he was active at the end of 1976 in the transition from the Centurian tank to the new Leopard tank. During the transition he worked together with the German Armoured School and became one of 20 instructors trained to teach the Canadian Forces on the use of the new tank when switching over from the Centurian to the Leopard. Dennis was a strong leader appreciated by his men and respected by senior officers. He would say he was on a first name basis, “They call me Dennis, and I call them Sir”. Even to the end he had a great sense of humour.

When back in Canada, Dennis and Jeantte built their new home in Oromocto, where they remained for more than forty years, with their three daughters growing up there and visiting often. Dennis and Jeanette had a trailer and a lot at Twin Shores, PEI. His daughters, son-in-law and grandchildren came to visit from all over in the summers, holding the wide spread family well-knit together for fun and joy. After retirement, Dennis worked as an ice man at the local curling rink for many years and played golf in the summer. He enjoyed both sports hugely.

We will miss Dennis deeply. We will miss him as our father, our brother, as our Grandpa and Grandad and as our friend. Dennis greatly missed his wife, Jeanette, who passed away earlier this year in February. They are at peace together.

He will be greatly missed by his children, Nicole, Ann and Trina and his son-in-law, Roger, grandchildren, Jack, Flora, Lauren, William and Noel; his brothers and sisters, Aubrey, Blair Kevin, and Ann, as well as his sister-in-law, Auldine and his nieces and nephews. In addition to his wife, Jeanette, he was predeceased by his parents, Hilda and Joseph; his sister, Doreen and brothers- in-law, Jim and Millar. Dennis had close ties to family on Jeanette’s side based out of Ontario. He will be missed by his niece, Yvonne, as well as Dennis’ nephews, nieces and sisters-in-law in Ontario; his friends and colleagues here and across the country and by his neighbors in Oromocto.

A family gathering will be held this summer on Prince Edward Island. For those who wish, memorial donations may be made to the Legion’s Poppy fund (https//www.legion.ca/remembrance/donate-to-the-poppy-fund) or Wounded Warriors Canada (woundedwarriors.ca)