John Arnold

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of

Mr. John T. Arnold.

Born in Calgary on October 22, 1921, at the Scottish Home, John was raised on his family farm in Crossfield, Alberta, with his two brothers, Ray and Bob, and sister, Betty. When John's older brother, Bob, developed polio, the family went to England to seek medical treatment. The family was in England when World War II broke out and, at 17, John signed up for the Royal Air Force. He flew more than 200 missions over Germany — first with the Royal Air Force and then the Royal Canadian Air Force. John flew the Halifax, Lancaster, and Hurricane bombers during the war. He was shot down twice. During the Battle of Britain, John crash-landed in a farmer's field, saving his two colleagues on board. John suffered third-degree burns over much of his body but received state-of-the-art care, resulting in very little scarring.

During the war he met the love of his life, Betty Doris Arnold, from

Kettering, Northamptonshire, England, who was serving in the Land Army. Attending church with friends one Sunday in 1941, he spotted Betty in the congregation from his seat in the balcony. He introduced himself after the service and from then on John was hooked. He would spend his breaks travelling to see Betty and in September 1944 John proposed in Wicksteed Park, Kettering, by saying "Are you going to marry me or not?" They were married that December and recently celebrated their seventy-second wedding anniversary.

After the war, John brought Betty back to his hometown of Calgary, where he got a job with Garbert's Furs. Robert Garbert Sr. took John under his wing and soon John and Mr. Garbert's son, Bob, became close friends.

In the 1950s Bob and John began to sell furs in Banff during the summers. In 1959, Mr. Garbert Sr. built the Bank of Montreal building, which still remains on Banff Avenue. The families lived in a apartments on the second floor of the building and operated three small businesses on the main floor. John personally operated Arcade Camera until 1993. When Bob met his wife, Alma, the two couples raised Alma and Bob's four children Karen, Brad, Michelle, and Reed as a family. John and Betty also went on to help raise Karen's daughters, Nahanni and Jackie, as well as Michelle's kids, Erik and Sierra.

John was close to the Banff community and could often be found chatting up staff at many local restaurants. Anyone who has been around Banff long enough has a story to share about their time with John. John loved photography, the mountains, a vodka and orange at the end of the day, a good steak, but most of all he loved his family. He was selfless, kind, a true gentleman, and made the people around him want to be more like him. He will be greatly missed and forever loved. He died peacefully of pneumonia on January 20, 2017, surrounded by his family and holding Betty's hand.

John leaves behind his wife, Betty, brother Ray (Brenda), sister Betty;

nieces and nephews Leslie, David, Sarah, Jane, Lynn, Sally, Peter, Rebecca and Tom, all of Britain; his Banff family, Alma, Karen (Jim), Brad, Michelle (Dave), Reed (Laura) Garbert and "grandchildren" Nahanni and Jackie McKay and Eric and Sierra Rutherford.

Funeral Services were held Thursday, January 26, 2017

in St. George in the Pines Anglican Church in Banff,

followed by interment in Mountain View Cemetery.

A reception was held at 136 Kootenay Avenue

following the interment service.

Flowers can be sent to 136 Kootenay Avenue, Banff.

Services provided by Russ Reynolds and Bow River Funeral Service.