Arthur Holmes HALSTED

1935 - 2022

HALSTED, Arthur Holmes: August 28, 1935 - June 14, 2022 Arthur Halsted passed away on June 14, 2022. He went the way he wanted to, quickly, and in the arms of his loving wife, Cheryl. Arthur was born in Morecambe, England, and at the age of 21 emigrated to British Columbia, Canada. He is survived by his wife, Cheryl, of 41 years; sons, Trevor and Nigel (Shemu); daughter, Annette; grandchildren, Jennifer, Bruce, and Aleesha; brothers, Geoff and John; sisters, Glenda, Janette, and Sylvie; as well as many nieces and nephews in England; nephew, Darren (Ann) who are living here with Arthur and Cheryl. He was predeceased by his loving grandson, Xavier (age 16 from a bike accident). "Rarely has the word unique applied so much to one person. Yes, Arthur was strong-willed and opinionated; but his love of debate and challenging peoples' views came from a place of genuine interest in fact, the world, and what people think, rather than simply expressing his opinion." Written by nephew, Darren. Many people have remarked on wonderful conversations with Arthur while he was sitting at the tent during Dragon Boat Festivals while Cheryl competed with her team. He attended every festival her team entered since 2005. Arthurs's love of learning extended into his teaching career which spanned four decades and many school districts here in BC and England. He was an avid reader, primarily non-fiction (biographies, history, philosophy). He watched the BBC World News daily, The National on CBC and local news broadcasts. Arthur's greatest love though, was steam locomotives. Dragging the Boler trailer behind the car or driving through Europe and the U.K., Arthur always managed to squeeze in a train ride behind a steam locomotive or visit a train museum. Any town or a city that had a restored steam locomotive, Arthur had to visit. He often managed to find his way to the foot plate where he sometimes joyfully rode with the Engineer, steam engine or not. It was Arthur's love of trains and the hope to save as much track as he could, that lead him to form the Kettle Valley Railway Society in 1990. Though he later stepped away from this society, he followed its development and success with great interest. On May 16 of this year, Arthur took his last ride behind a steam locomotive, on the KVR, and was happy to share his love of trains with his young grandchildren. Arthur will be dearly missed by all who knew him. A Celebration of Life will be held at the house in Okanagan Falls on September 24th at 3:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, donations in Arthur's name may be made to the Knowledge Network, BC's own public TV station, which he and Cheryl watched faithfully. Thank you to Nunes-Pottinger Funeral Service for being so kind and helpful during this difficult time. Condolences and tributes may be directed to the family by visiting www.nunes-pottinger.com