Browse the obituary of residing in the province of Nouveau-Brunswick for funeral details
On this first day of the rest of his life, Fernand Arsenault,
95, of Moncton, passed away at the Dr. Georges-L.-Dumont UHC on
Thursday, February 20, 2025. Born in Bonaventure, Gaspé, on
October 17, 1929, he was the son of the late Cléophas and
Yvonne (Arsenault) Arsenault. Beloved husband of Ghislaine
Cormier-Arsenault, he was predeceased in the fullness of life by his
son Jean-Pierre.
He is survived by one sister, Lucette (late Ghislain); one
sister-in-law, Denise (late Jean-Claude); as well as several nieces
and nephews, sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law.
Besides his parents, his wife and his son, he was predeceased
by his sisters and brothers: Jean-Claude, Guy (Mariange), Rita
(Joseph), Antoinette (Raymond), Gemma (Émilien), Raoul
(Blanche), Sr Lorraine Fille de Jésus, infant Fernande,
Henri-Louis (Colombe), Laurielle (Arsène), Marcelle (Vic),
and Madone (Raymond).
His life was influenced by 4-H clubs, including his hometown
club in Bonaventure, which was one of the first clubs founded in
Québec in 1942. He was one of the founding members,
inspired by the values of respect for life and nature, whose rallying
cry was: Honor, Honesty, Skill and Humanity.
His mother Yvonne, an excellent educator, and above all his
father Cléophas were also a great influence.
Cléophas, a man with a grade 5 education, was committed to
a grand project, that of freeing his fellow Gaspesians from the hard
labor of lumbering and log driving by providing them with a paper mill
in New Richmond. By joining the Congrégation de
Sainte-Croix, Fernand disappointed his father, who had counted on him
to help realize the mill project. This disappointment was short-lived,
however, as Fernand’s university career contributed, as his father had
hoped, to freeing thousands of Acadians from poverty by enabling them
to become committed professionals who helped modernize Acadian and
Québec society.
Fernand was a member of the Congrégation de
Sainte-Croix from 1951 to 1973. His confreres saw in him a dynamic
worker for Father Lefebvre, Clément Cormier and the members
of the future Université de Moncton. The brothers and
fathers of Sainte-Croix also introduced him to the true history of the
Acadians. He left the Congregation in 1974 to marry the love of his
life, Ghislaine Cormier-Arsenault, in 1975.
From 1973 to 1974, Fernand took advantage of a sabbatical to
improve his knowledge of Family Therapy at the Marin Institute,
California, and the Western Institute in Watsonville, California. It
was there that he met Mary and Bob Goulding, not to mention Eric
Burns, author of Games People Play (DTA). Fernand was always proud of
and grateful to the Congrégation Sainte-Croix fathers and
brothers for enabling him to complete all his studies, and for
covering all the costs.
From 1956 to 1961, at Université Saint-Joseph, and
at Université de Moncton from 1966 onwards, he was
professor and head of the Department of Religious Studies, before
accepting the position of Dean of the Faculty of Arts in 1985 until
1994.
During his two terms as Dean, he succeeded in providing the
Faculty of Arts with the infrastructure it needed, including a
performance hall and a fine arts pavilion to adequately house the
music, visual arts and theater departments. It was also during his
tenure that the Quatuor Arthur-LeBlanc was founded, and the first
post-graduate program created: the Doctorat en études
françaises et linguistique, whose first degree was awarded
to Mrs. Judith Perron in 1995. Many other faculties and schools would
follow the example of the Faculty of Arts, helping to bring the
Université de Moncton into the world of major universities.
By its 50th anniversary in 2023, the Université will have
awarded almost 45,000 advanced degrees.
In 1985, he chaired an international peace symposium held at
the Université de Moncton. In 1992, he was elected to the
Executive Board of the Association internationale des
facultés ou établissements de lettres et de
sciences humaines. The following year, he was elected President of the
Association des doyens des arts, des lettres et des sciences du Canada
for a regular one-year term.
Fernand has distinguished himself by his humanism and
dedication to social issues and the development of arts and culture.
In 1997, he received a Certificate of Excellence from the Conseil des
arts du Nouveau-Brunswick for his commitment to promoting the arts and
literature. A recipient of the Order of Canada in 2003, Fernand’s
contributions to organizations such as Amnistie internationale and the
Canadian Mental Health Association are a testament to his deep-rooted
values.
On June 12, 2022, he was presented with a plaque in tribute
to his important contribution to the work of Père Lefebvre,
Père Clément Cormier and the
Université de Moncton.
By request, there will be no visitation at the funeral home.
The funeral mass will be celebrated on Saturday April 26 at 10 am in
Notre-Dame-de-la-Paix Church, 87 Murphy Avenue, Moncton. The funeral
mass will be videotaped, and the video will be available on his
obituary on the Frenette Website at the end of the day. In memory of
Fernand, a contribution to the Fonds de bourses universitaires
Fernand, Ghislaine et Jean-Pierre Arsenault (tel.:506 858-4130 or 1
888 362-1144) or to a charity of the donor’s choice would be
appreciated. Funeral arrangements are in the professional care of
Frenette Funeral and Cremation Centre, Moncton
(506-858-1900).
Words of comfort may be made at
www.frenettefuneralhome.com
1929 2025
Death notice for the town of: Moncton, Province: Nouveau-Brunswick
death notice Fernand Arsenault 1929 2025
obituaries notice Fernand Arsenault 1929 2025
We offer our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Fernand Arsenault 1929 2025 and hope that their memory may be a source of comfort during this difficult time. Your thoughts and kind words are greatly appreciated.