Athlete.
Born in the Elmwood community of Winnipeg on 3 April 1921 to Sjocke Schonnatra and Dirk Johan Arondeus, who had immigrated from Holland, his passion for sports began at an early age at Kelvin Community Club. There, he was introduced to hockey and lacrosse. His hockey skills and determination led to an invitation to try out for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League. However, the call to duty was stronger than the lure of the NHL and he chose instead to enlist in the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1942 to serve in the Second World War. He received his Flying Officer wings in 1943, and served in Burma as a navigator on search-and-rescue missions.
Just before he was deployed in 1943, he married Jean Wilson (1922-2018), with whom he went on to have three daughters. After the War, he started a career back in Winnipeg as an electrical contractor as owner of Kelvin Electric Limited. He also continued to participate in the sport of lacrosse, which led to his 2011 induction into the Manitoba Lacrosse Hall of Fame as a player, builder, and eventually as the coach of the National 1954 and 1955 Minto Cup champions. He served as President of the Manitoba Lacrosse Association in 1957.
In 1951, he joined the Kiwanis Club of East Kildonan, where he served as President in 1956. In the late 1960s he was involved in establishing the Key Club (junior Kiwanis club) at Miles Macdonell Collegiate. He was also a long-time member of and volunteer with John Black Memorial United Church. He curled in the winter and golfed in the summer, but his main passion was tennis, which he played year-round. In retirement, he and his wife spent many winters vacationing in Florida.
He died at Winnipeg on 24 November and was buried in the Elmwood Cemetery.
Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 28 November 2012.
Obituary [Jean Arondeus (Wilson)], Winnipeg Free Press, 13 October 2018.
“John Arondeus,” Manitoba Lacrosse Hall of Fame and Museum.
“Dirk John Arondeus,” McCarthy Family Tree, Ancestry.
This page was prepared by Lois Braun.
Page revised: 6 January 2026
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