Obituary
Arbour, David Blair
May 15, 1951 – December 9, 2021
It is with great sadness that we say goodbye to a dear husband, father, brother, poppa, uncle, teacher, entrepreneur, mentor and friend. David was many things, to many people; but everyone who knew him liked and respected him.
David Blair Arbour was born in Powassan, Ontario, the eldest son to Joseph Elmer “Butch” Arbour and Lillian Ruth Arbour (nee Sheehy). Loving husband to Marian Arbour (nee Timmons). Brother to Rick (Liz) Arbour, Kevin (Brenda) Arbour and Marilyn (Ron) Kuhnberg. Father to Joseph (April) Arbour. Poppa to Aiden and Noah Tompkins. Predeceased by his daughter Janis Tompkins and his first wife Linda (nee Stenning). David will be sadly missed by his extended Stenning and Hill families.
David was a great outdoorsman, loving to hunt and fish which led him to his first career as a Conservation Officer for over 20 years and was awarded the Exemplary Peace Officer Service Award for his dedication to the preservation of wildlife for future generations to enjoy. He was part of the training cadre at Dorset, a dedicated member of the Peer Support Program and played a key role in the introduction of joining MNR enforcement officers with the Crime Stoppers program. After retiring from the MNR, his second career was a natural continuation of his love of the outdoors and passion for hunting. For over 20 years he taught the Canadian Firearms Safety Course and the Ontario Hunter Safety Course. He used his experiences of his career as a CO with his personal hunting experience to bring a comprehensive but fun learning experience to both young and old and fostered his passion in the next generation of outdoorsmen and women. His third career also revolved around this passion. David founded Valley Outdoors Promotions, a company dedicated to bringing sportsmen together with various industry leaders under one roof to enhance their awareness of new products and innovations in the outdoor industry. These shows evolved over the 28-year history of the company ranging from sportsman shows, to fishing shows, boat shows and gun shows. His trademark success with the Valley Sportsman Show and his dedication to improvement became the template of other trade show organizers, His dedicated show staff and exhibitors became his second family. No matter in which career you met Dave, the sentiment was constant… a dedicated and well-respected outdoorsman who had a great laugh, positive attitude and big heart. He will be missed by many.
Friends may pay their respects at the Alan R. Barker Funeral Home 19 McArthur Avenue, Carleton Place, on Wednesday December 15, 2021 from 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. and on Thursday December 16, 2021 from 11:00 a.m. until the time of the service in the chapel at 1:00 p.m. Please know, proof of double vaccination, with photo ID and a mask will be required to all who wish to attend. A private family inurnment will be held at a later date.
In keeping with Dave’s passions, memorial contributions may be made to the Ontario Young Hunters Scholarship Program or Canadian Diabetes Society.
www.barkerfh.com
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Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of David Arbour December 9 2021..
Death notice for the town of: Carleton-Place, Province: Ontario