ARTHUR VALENTINE MAURO

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ARTHUR VALENTINE MAURO

Arthur V. Mauro, age 96, died on August 4, 2023 with his son, Greg, by his side. Father, husband, friend, philanthropist, lawyer, business person, proud Italian, social justice advocate, lover of Canada’s North - the list could go on.

Arthur was born in 1927 in the early morning hours of February 15th (hence his middle name, Valentine). He was the fifth of six children of Arthur and Maria Mauro and was predeceased by his siblings, Anne, Angelo, Lucy, Gloria and Joseph. Arthur will be deeply missed by his wife Naomi; his children, Barbara (Scott), Christine, Jennifer and Gregory (Evelyn), along with his grandchildren, Jeff (Mirela), Andrew, Nick (Isabelle), Sarah (Nick), Arthur/Alex (Allison), great grandchildren, Aldrick and Alera, and his many nieces and nephews.

Arthur grew up in Port Arthur, Ontario (now Thunder Bay) during the Great Depression. His early life presented many challenges but also many blessings. One of those blessings was the local Jesuit community who seemed to sense a great potential in young Arthur and took him under their wing. They instilled in him a love of learning, a desire to be of service to his community and a deep religious sensibility. Somewhat to the horror of his family (and the Jesuits), after graduating from high school in 1945 Arthur took off with a friend and spent a year hitchhiking throughout the United States. While not part of the plan that others had for him, this adventure instilled in Arthur a sense of self-reliance and and enabled him to experience the feeling of not knowing if he would be able to afford dinner that night. (It also showed him the limitations of a career based on the selling of bronzed baby shoes.)

On his return home, Arthur was strongly “nudged” to attend St Paul’s College in Winnipeg. Once again under the influence of the Jesuits, Arthur’s virtues and leadership qualities began to manifest and flourish. In spite of being told that there was no way that an Italian Catholic could become president of the Student Council, Arthur ran and was elected. He advocated for student rights on both a national and international level and eventually obtained a B.A., LLB and Masters of Law from the University of Manitoba.

Perhaps even more valuable than his degrees, at university Arthur met Nancie Tooley who would be his beloved wife for almost 50 years. Nine months after their honeymoon, the first of Arthur and Nancie’s four children, Barbara, was born. Christine, Jennifer and Greg soon followed. Not surprising given his Italian heritage, cooking and meals became a focal point of family life. Even if he had to later return to his office, Arthur would be at the table for dinner where even the youngest child's contribution to the conversation would be listened and responded to with respect and care. There would be stories, laughter, songs and bounces on the knee. There were trips to Assinboine Park, summers at Camp Morton, wonderful family vacations, great meals and outings with other families who turned into life-long friends. Family mattered.

For almost two decades Arthur practised law with the Thorvaldson firm in Winnipeg (now MLT Aikens) and became one of Canada’s leading experts on transportation law. While to some that subject might sound dry, for Arthur transportation was a crucial element of the fabric of Canada. In such a vast country, the ease and cost of the movement of people and goods had a huge impact on the very survival of the country. It was also Arthur’s strong belief that the well being of Canada depended on the well being of its North - its people, its environment, its culture. Arthur was able to deeply explore this connection when in the late sixties he was appointed Chair of the Manitoba Royal Commission on Northern Transportation.

In 1969 Arthur shifted his career from lawyer to businessman. This initially involved a move with his family to Toronto. But within four years his heart and its deep connection to Winnipeg drew him back and he accepted a job as president of the regional airline, Transair. In 1976 he joined Investors Group where he became president and CEO and on his “retirement”, Chair of the Board of Directors.

Throughout his adult life Arthur committed a huge amount of his time and, latterly, his money to his community. His strong desire was “To make a difference”. He recognized that a thriving community needed to be fed in many ways - both its members' bodies and souls required nourishment. Food, shelter, religion, art, music, film, dance, the natural world - all received Arthur's attention and support.

But what seemed to give Arthur the most satisfaction was his role in the creation of the Institute for Peace and Justice at St. Paul’s College and the Mauro Chair in Human Rights and Social Justice at the University of Manitoba. The faculty and students in these programs shone like rays of hope and beautiful possibility in a troubled world.

Arthur’s significant contributions to his community and to his church were recognized by many awards including Officer of the Order of Canada, Officer of Manitoba and Knight of the Order of St. Gregory. But at least as important were the personal impacts and relationships Arthur made throughout his life. Arthur was willing to share his wisdom and experience and there are many individuals who benefited from his generous mentoring.

A few years after Nancie’s untimely death in 2000, Arthur met and married Naomi Levine with whom he was able to share the last 20 years of his life. They traveled together and in many diverse ways continued to contribute to the community. He also built a home at Gimli where he spent many happy summer days gazing over the vast inland sea, Lake Winnipeg.

The family would like to thank all the wonderful caregivers who assisted Arthur during the last year of his life, especially Dorothy Hanysz . You all made a difference.

In a speech to the Jewish Foundation in 2009, Arthur spoke powerfully of our duty as a member of society: “Each of us has an obligation in this pursuit of peace and justice. If we stand mute in the face of injustice, we stand convicted of the social crime of silence.” It would be a fitting tribute to Arthur if you chose to speak out for justice and, if able, to donate to a charity that supports tolerance, peace and justice in these challenging times.

Bardal Funeral Home

843 Sherbrook Street, 204-774-7474

Tribute Wall: www.bardal.ca

ARTHUR VALENTINE MAURO

Arthur Valentine Mauro died on August 4, 2023 at the age of 96. At Arthur's request, funeral services will be private. A longer obituary will follow.

The family requests that friends visit Arthur's tribute wall at www.bardal.ca where condolences, photos and stories may be placed for all to see.

Bardal Funeral Home

843 Sherbrook Street, 204-774-7474

Tribute Wall: www.bardal.ca

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Aug 10, 2023, Aug 12, 2023