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 as soon as possible. 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
