It is with deep sadness that the family announces the passing of Mr. Arnold “Arnie” Stiffel (born in Montreal on May 25, 1929, to Anton Stiffel and Josephine Hanish) on June 7, 2023 at the age of 94 in Sherbrooke, Quebec. He was predeceased by his wife Rachel Lefebvre in 2018. Arnold is survived by his son Mark (Sharon Priest) and his grandsons Michael and Mathew and many extended family members.
Although Arnold spent most of his life moving around the province with his work as a Branch Manager for Household Finance, Purchasing Manager for Scott Paper, and co-owner of Polyplastic, his roots were by far the deepest and strongest at Lac Clair, near the town of St.Come in Lanaudière.
Arnold purchased a plot of land there in 1947 at the tender age of 18, whereupon would eventually sit the family’s most precious property: “The Cottage”. This labour of love, hand-built by Arnie (and later by his beloved wife and son), would become the pied-à-terre of innumerable groups of friends and family over the years. It would also serve as the main base of operations for Arnold’s most consuming pastimes: hunting and fishing. Rarely would a day go by that Arnie didn’t sneak out for a “quick troll” around Lac Clair, assuming he wasn’t already on a longer trip to one of the other nearby lakes.
His handyman skills refined by decades of stone masonry and carpentry; Arnold became a master carver in retirement. Inspired by the local wildlife at The Cottage, he mostly carved and painted birds, winning several competitions and even teaching courses on the craft in Joliette for several years.
Arnie’s closest friends and family remember him as an avid storyteller, a skilled woodsman, and a caring husband, father, and grandfather. He could as readily be found on a day-long hike through the rocky terrain of the Canadian Shield as he could be curled up with a book by the fire. He will be sorely missed.
In respect of Arnie’s wishes, no funeral service will be held.