Louis Ariano

ARIANO, Louis….

Chief Warrant Officer Louis Ariano, MMM, CD (Ret’d)

Louis Ariano, died peacefully on Saturday, June 19, 2021 in London, Ontario. Louis was born in Sherbrooke, Québec in 1934 and was raised and educated in Montréal, Québec. The son of Annina Logrippo and Sylvio Ariano, hardworking immigrants who came to Canada from Italy in the 1920’s to make a better life for their families. Louis joined the RCAF on April 22, 1952 and trained as a radar technician. Louis held a wide variety of jobs in his 38-year military career, achieving the rank of Chief Warrant Officer. In 1976, Louis was appointed to Canada’s Order of Military Merit in recognition of outstanding merit and devotion to duty in the Canadian Forces. His award was presented by the Governor General at Rideau Hall in Ottawa.

Louis was a frugal man but generous with his time and resources. He was an active member of the United Church of Canada, and a parishioner at many United Churches across Canada. For 32 years he made Riverside United and its precursor Hyde Park United in London, Ontario his home church. He served as Treasurer of the Trustees of Riverside United Church for five years. Louis met his beloved wife of 63 years Elizabeth Orr McKell at an evening service at St. James United Church in Montréal on January 4, 1958. Their relationship grew stronger as the years passed and they moved across Canada from posting to posting with their children Gino and Wanda. Louis was a strong believer in higher education, he worked diligently, part-time to obtain a BA from the University of Manitoba which he achieved in 1990. He often said to his children and grandchildren, “education is something they can’t take away from you”. Louis and Elizabeth retired to London, Ontario in 1989.

Louis was a proponent of physical fitness and worked to stay in shape throughout his life. In 1951, at William Dawson High School’s 13th Annual Track and Field meet at Molson Stadium in Montréal, Louis ran the mile in 5.31.01 shattering the existing record by 2.6 seconds. Louis was also an avid swimmer, faithfully doing an hour a week of front crawl at London’s Canada Games Aquatic Centre. Louis kept swimming well into his 80’s. Louis was an avid gardener, a pastime he shared with his wife Elizabeth. Louis was most proud of his wonderful tomato crops and beautiful pear tree. He shared his tomatoes and pears widely. Louis suffered a recurring problem with squirrels raiding his tomato crop. One year, he removed 19 squirrels from his back garden, transplanting them humanely to a better home.

Louis leaves his wife Elizabeth, daughter Wanda Sadowski and her husband Mark of Bunbury, Australia. Louis’ son Gino Ariano and his wife Heidi Ariano (née Rankin) of Toronto and his precious grandchildren Sarah and Paige. Louis also leaves his beloved sister Gemma Bradshaw and her husband Gordon along with their daughter Melanie. His brother Eugene predeceased him in 2008.

The family would like to extend a special thanks to Louis’ Family Physician Dr. Eric Nicholls for his dedicated care. The family also appreciated the exceptional care provided by Dr. Ryan Davey and the rest of the Heart Failure Service at University Hospital, London.

Donations in Louis’s memory can be sent to Children Believe, 1200 Denison Street, Markham, ON L3R 8G6 or the London Health Sciences Foundation in support of the Cardiology Program at LHSC, 747 Baseline Road East, London, ON N6C 2R6. A funeral and celebration of Louis Ariano’s life will be held at Riverside United Church in London, Ontario once Covid-19 restrictions ease. Go peacefully into the night my friend.