Obituary of J. Arthur Flood

John Arthur Flood Surrounded by his large and loving family, Arthur Flood (Papa) died peacefully at his home in Kennebecasis Park on Thursday March 6th after a period of failing health. Born in Saint John on August 30, 1923, Art was the fifth of seven siblings and son of the late George Michael Flood (d. 1978) and Clara Marie Theriault (d.1953). He was the loving husband of Ann Flood (Oland) (d.1983) and the father of 11 children, grandfather of 27 and great-grandfather to 3. He is survived by two sisters, Rita Stilwell and Joanne MacDonald ( Dicker); sisters in-law Jane Nagle and Nancy Oland; his children: Geoff(Susan) and Stephen, Erin and David; Peter (Shelley) and Patrick and Sean; Tim(Cindy) and Jane MacEachern (Will) and Isabelle and Timmy, Kimberly Beaton (Mark) and Olivia, Geoff (Kristina), Laura and Tim (Keri); Pat(Kelly) and Kathryn and Claire, Dennis (Madonna) and Ben, Daniel, Michael and Meghan, Stephen; Claire “Dooley” ( Mike Carr) and Maggie and Sean; Laurie and Mia; David (Alison) and Jack and Liam; Jane Polsterer(Karl) and Nicholas and Jack; Mary Ellen “Henry” Barry(Jon) and Reghan, Kaelin, Will and John. It is “Quite a tribe” of which he was very proud. He was pre-deceased by his brother George “Bud” Flood(Francis), sisters Inez McKinney(Doug), Claire “Ting” Kirk(Jack), Theresa Davis(Darrell) and his brothers-in-law Michael Nagle and Geoffrey “Bob” Oland. Art had an even larger collection of nieces and nephews. He was the favourite uncle and best friend to many. Art was the often silent but steady hand that guided his eleven children and everyone he knew to do the right thing, to respect others and to be grateful for the wonderful opportunity that they had been given. Not many things made him angry but he had no tolerance for uncharitable talk and unjust criticism. He always wanted us to put ourselves in the shoes of the other. He was the first of his family to attend university and went off to St. Francis Xavier University after a short time in the reserves. He graduated from Nova Scotia Technical College in 1947 with a degree in Civil Engineering and entered the family business. He worked with his brother Bud and his cousin Jim as members of the 4th generation of the family to operate John Flood and Sons, Canada’s oldest construction company. He married Ann (Oland) on April 14, 1952. She was the pillar of our family to whom he was devoted his entire life. They moved from the city to Kennebecasis Park where Art founded and built a model neighbourhood that was without parallel for its sensibility and quality of life; it is unmatched to this day. Now, the third generation of children to be raised in this community are benefitting from his vision and attention to detail. Art was well known for his original ideas and his many creative projects. His dry wit and his writing and speaking talents were legendary. Old school, he never quit any project and engendered in his children a love for trying new things. In his lifetime he built two churches in his community and never missed mass. His large extended family love the family life that he created for them and they marveled at their good fortune. Art had many celebrated accomplishments in his life. He was a leader in his community and in his profession. He was the recipient of many honours, evidence of a life well-lived. His integrity was the gold standard. Art’s judgement and views were sought after by others in every walk of life. He was forever building something and was an accomplished artist, his most famous works are now part of the permanent collection at the family farm in Lower Kars, New Brunswick. Whether it was deep-sea fishing in the Bahamas or jigging in the fishpond, he loved to fish. Art spent his entire career in the construction industry. As the President of John Flood & Sons, he carried on the tradition for quality begun by his great grandfather in 1848. He has his mark on many landmarks in Saint John and throughout New Brunswick. For his leadership, he was honoured in 2002 by the Saint John Construction Association as Honorary Life member. Art was a friend to all and never had an unkind word to say about anyone. He was straight talking, often skeptical but never cynical. Art was a very generous man. He sponsored as many as 18 dis-advantaged children around the world and followed their progress until their adulthood. One of his proudest moments was when he accompanied his daughter Laurie to China to bring home her daughter and his granddaughter, Mia. His children were his proudest accomplishment and the joy of his life. He lived a long and full life and at the end he demonstrated a will to live that was an inspiration to everyone. As he put it, “I just want to see how things turn out.” The family would like to thank Art’s healthcare team Cindy Bergeron, Extra Mural, Dr. Gordon Hollway, Reta Morris, Tammy Comeau ,Sandra Losier and Fr. Michael Leblanc. We are especially thankful to our sister Laurie, who with great love, carried most of the load. Resting at Fitzpatrick’s Funeral Home, 100 Waterloo Street. Visitation will be Sunday from 2 to 4 and 6-8pm and Monday from 2-4 and 6-8pm. The funeral mass will be celebrated by Fr. Michael Leblanc at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Rothesay at noon on Tuesday, March 11th, 2014. Interment will be in St. Josephs Cemetery. How Great Thou Art.