Arne Vedel Jensen passed away peacefully in the early hours of April 20, 2026 aged 92. His youngest daughter Tina was at his side.

He was the loving husband to Etsuko for 61 years and beloved dad to Lisa and Tina. His passing was peaceful, quiet and calm. He did not suffer any pain or fear, and remained patient, pleasant and agreeable. His doctors, nurses and physio team described him as "lovely" and "a gentleman." One of his hospital roommates was pleased to hear him singing at night.

Arne's family extends their deepest gratitude and respect to the staff at Foothills Hospital for the gentle and thorough care he received. In particular, thank you to Dr. Catherine McKenna for her kindness and attentiveness. Also thank you to Dr. Gotto and Dr. Donnelly and the Prostate Cancer Clinic for their treatment in keeping Arne's cancer at bay.

Arne was born in Denmark, the second of five brothers. He lost his mother when he was 12 years old but still seemed to have many happy and funny memories of his childhood on the farm.

He immigrated to Canada by ship in the early 1960s, seeking a new life. He worked on farms in Ontario and Red Deer before settling in Calgary. He met Etsuko through a correspondence program (details have always been vague!) and..."things happened," he said. They were married in Calgary on October 23, 1964. They bought a brand-new house in Calgary, where he and Etsuko continued to live. Five years later, Arne's brother Helge and Etsuko's sister Shigeko married, and soon after Lisa and Tina enjoyed the company of their little cousins, Nicholas and Maja. The two families spent lots of time together, enjoying the outdoors and celebrating holidays and special occasions.

Arne worked hard as a finishing carpenter, mostly in Calgary. He had one exciting job in the 1980s that took him to Japan for 6 months working on a yacht, which then sailed to San Diego for completion. Otherwise, he was always home for dinner and spent his free time working on the yard and garden or building and fixing things in the garage. There was nothing he couldn't build, fix or grow.

Many happy summers were spent driving through Canada and the USA in the big blue suburban, camping in the green and white Boler at KOA campgrounds. Stops included Mt. Rushmore, Devil's Tower, Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, Disneyland, Washington DC, CN Tower, Great Lakes and Niagara Falls, just to name a few; the Boler trailer was plastered with souvenir stickers. Closer to home, the family visited many nearby places since the girls were little, including hikes to Johnston Canyon and the Lake Louise teahouse, to the sound of Arne’s ever-present Danish clogs. Trips to Banff, Christina Lake, Two-Jack Lake, Lake Minnewanka, Peyto Lake, Drumheller, the Enchanted Forest, the Ogopogo and Flintstone parks, numerous hotsprings, and of course, the Calgary Stampede all created wonderful memories and many, many colour slides!

There were family trips to Japan in 1970 and Denmark in 1974, but Arne made a solid, happy life in Calgary. He took the girls swimming, bike-riding and ice-skating, tobaggoning, and the whole family tried cross-country skiing. He loved playing board games, dominos and card games, where it was easy for him to win as he could see the cards reflected in everyone else’s eyeglasses! He enjoyed 5-pin bowling with Etsuko, and carpet bowling and riding his bicycle in his retirement. He travelled in Alberta with his 55+ Alberta Games carpet bowling team.

The last few years presented medical issues and hospital stays - minor strokes, neuropathy and stage 4 prostate cancer. But Arne never complained and was always pleasant and cooperative. He enjoyed relaxing in his big green chair doing crossword puzzles, sudoku, Reader’s Digest, watching old movies and offering commentary on the neighbours and current events, accompanied by Loki the cat on his lap.

Arne was humble, reliable, hard-working, and a bit shy. But he had a dry and observant sense of humour - he didn't say much, but he didn't miss anything.He had a long, happy and peaceful life.

Arne will be greatly missed by his wife and daughters, extended family and his longtime neighbours and friends. 

An Open House/Drop-in Celebration of Arne's Life will be held on June 14, 2026 from 12-4pm at Tina's house.  Please email for address: tinajensen2.0@outlook.com