BRIGGS, Arthur Gordon - (1951 - 2021) - On July 23rd, 2021, our brilliant friend, beloved father, and devoted husband, Arthur Gordon Briggs, left us suddenly and unexpectedly at Southlake Regional Hospital in Newmarket, ON.
Art was magnetic and hilarious, crotchety and kind, he was absolutely perfect. He gave us a thousand reasons to laugh and a few reasons to grumble too. He loved a good grumble.
His last years were rich, wildly happy, and full of love. He listened to great music, drank mediocre Starbucks coffee, and took long walks with his beautiful wife, Debbie, and his awful (but much adored) dog Eddie.
He drank warm Guinness in Ireland, rode a gondola in Venice, and drove across Canada to the Atlantic coast in a pick up truck. He held his just-born grandbabies and marveled at them as they grew. He loved the same incredible woman for a half a century. And she loved him back. Fiercely.
His closest, deepest friendships were with his children, Arthur, Shannon, and Erin, and their partners Duyen, Buckley, and Mike. There were long, silly phone conversations and short ones where he just wanted to gossip and be caught up on the day. Their interests were his interests. He took up every passion, pastime, and problem as though it were his own.
Begrudgingly, he became a cat person, a horse person, and a foodie. There were many evenings spent with Nashville hot chicken and American Idol, and even more afternoons in the pool with vodka drinks and not enough sunscreen. He was the best dad. Full stop. He never trusted a politician or a doctor or a dentist, he trusted his mechanic, the pest control guy, and his brother, Jim.
Art loved the Blue Jays and hated the Blue Jays. He was a hat person but not a sock person. In 1981 he started Dominion Customs Consultants with his friend John Preston. They were still working side-by-side when he died. He loved the people he worked with and believed in them wholeheartedly. He was loyal, generous, inquisitive, and a dedicated mentor. Dominion was his second home and he always liked to pop into the office, even if all he had to do that day was play solitaire.
Our hearts are broken but they are so, so full. We are grateful for every single smile, sudoku puzzle, and story he shared with us.
Arrangements are entrusted with Thompson funeral home, Aurora.
In lieu of flowers, the family would love for you to make a donation to the charity of your choice.
{fastsocialshare