Arne Thorkild Nielsen

It is with great sadness that the family of Arne Thorkild Nielsen announce his passing on March 27, 2026, at the age of ninety-five. He will be deeply missed and fondly remembered by all who knew and loved him for his understanding of the importance of family, his sense of humour, and his love of a good card game.

Arne was born in Ulfborg, Denmark in 1930 to Ole Kristian Nielsen and Birgitte Albertsen as the second youngest of four children.

After working as a farm labourer for seven years in and around his small village, at the age of 17 Arne ventured out of Denmark to work for a year on a fruit farm in Switzerland. This experience prompted him to make the decision to emigrate, applying to Canada, Australia, and the United States for naturalization papers. Receiving acceptance first from Canada, in 1950, with no English, no extensive schooling and no money, Arne embarked on the greatest adventure of his life, often claiming this to be the best decision he ever made. One requirement of the Canadian immigration process at the time was to work for a year in a specific high-need labour sector which led him first to work in Beamsville on a fruit farm.

After his mandatory year on the farm, Arne moved to the Toronto area to work on construction, and with strong ties to the Danish community eventually ended up in a boarding house run by a Danish Canadian on Waterloo Avenue. Living across the street was his future bride, Pearl Tang, who he then married in 1958.

In 1959, Arne went into business with Pearl’s parents, Andrew and Agnes Tang, purchasing Pine Dale Inn and Cucamonga Cottages in Gravenhurst. While Arne concentrated on expanding and modernizing the resort, Pearl taught school in Gravenhurst. In 1970, Arne, being restless with still bigger dreams, split the business with his father-in-law, putting his focus on Cucamonga Cottages. Here he continued with his love of building by expanding what was originally a small group of summer cottages into several sets of row-houses for year-round rentals. In 1988 Arne took the opportunity to buy the motel back, giving him a new project. Again, he was motivated by the new situation to put his self-learned skills into renovations and changes. Arne sold the motel business in 1993 but continued to run Cucamonga Cottages. His wife Pearl passed after 48 years of marriage in 2007 and in 2009 he finally retired, leaving his legacy which he had built with continuous hard-work, determination, and a great mind. He sold the rest of his business and left Gravenhurst after being an active member of the community for 50 years.

Life in Gravenhurst was busy, raising five children and participating in numerous local groups and charities. Arne was a member of the Muskoka Steamship and Historical Society, enthusiastically involved with the initial restoration and relaunching of the Segwun in 1974. He was always immensely proud of his involvement in this venture, often talking about ‘his ship.’ From the 1970s through to the late 1990s Arne was an active member of the Rotary Club in Gravenhurst, hosting numerous Rotary Exchange students over the years. He also received the highly regarded Paul Harris Fellow Award for outstanding service to the community. Together with an ever-expanding group of lifelong friends, Arne and Pearl golfed, curled, played cards (especially bridge), travelled extensively, and were known to host over-the-top Danish parties at their home. Arne looked forward to the yearly family escapes to Florida. The initial trips coincided with the March school break, later expanding to several months every winter in the Naples area. It was during his time in Florida that Arne at the age of 66 took up the sport of tennis. This offered him new social connections, and he actively played not only in Florida, but also with a group of friends in Gravenhurst, playing on the Gull Lake courts twice a week. He continued to play actively until the covid epidemic forced him to put down his racket. Although he no longer physically played, until his passing, he intensely followed all major tennis events and could tell you the world ranking of all the top players. He always knew, of course, why a player had won or lost.

After leaving Gravenhurst, in 2009 Arne married Karen Allen, living in London, Ontario. Arne and Karen enjoyed spending time with friends and family around the London area, gardening and playing card games. Still pursuing a warm winter retreat, Arne and Karen spent months every winter in Mesa, Arizona.

Although Arne spent almost his entire life in Canada, he retained close contacts with his family in Denmark, visiting and hosting family members continuously over the years. His last visit to Denmark in 2023 allowed him to spend cherished time with his brother Kaj, who passed shortly thereafter, and his sister Lis, with whom he continued to speak to once a week until he passed.

Arne is survived by his wife Karen; 5 children, Chris (Lori) Nielsen of Rustico PEI, Alan (Sharon) Nielsen of Belleville ON, Susan Nielsen (Andreas Kayss) of Bebra Germany, Anne Nielsen (Phil Carter) of Calgary AB, Lisa (John) Cyrulik of Charleston SC; 2 step-children, Diane Allen of London and Jenny (Gordon) Nicol of Mesa Arizona and his younger sister Gunhild Elisabet of Herning, Denmark.

Arne’s extended family includes thirteen grandchildren, four great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.

The Celebration of Life with Visitation will take place on July 11, 2026, at Cavill Funeral Home, Gravenhurst, Ontario, commencing at 10:00 a.m. with the Memorial Service to follow at 11:00 a.m.

In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to Verspeeten Family Cancer Centre, London Health Sciences Centre, London, Ontario.