In memory of
Yoshifumi Ray "Yonzie" Arima
May 21, 1927 - May 15, 2026
Ray Arima died unexpectedly on Friday, May 15, 2026, one week short of his 99th birthday.
Ray is survived by his daughter Candise; his sons Daryl "Manny" (Karola) and Stafford; his grandson Ryan; and his sister-in-law Vi Arima. He was predeceased by Agnethe “Aggie” Arima, Daisy Arima and Motoko “Mo” Nishidera; and by siblings Takako Tanaka (Zen), Toshiko Goto (Koji), Masayoshi "Mush", and Masakuzu. He will be missed by numerous nieces, nephews, and extended family.
Born in Marpole, British Columbia, Yonzie lost his father (Itaro) to a logging accident. Teen-aged Ray's family was relocated during World War II to a Japanese internment camp in Slocan, B.C. where his mother (Same) passed away.
Following the war, Yonzie and his three siblings moved to Hamilton, Ontario to start a new life. Ray had a creative imagination. He painted homes and commercial spaces with meticulous skill. In the early eighties, he operated Romney's, an upscale sheepskin shop in Toronto. Horse racing was a magnet for Ray's attention. A system to predict and handicap horse race performance was an active preoccupation well into his nineties. Casinos captured his interest too. He was happiest at the racetrack or casinos (across North America) with family and friends. He traveled extensively to places near and far including Japan, China, Hong Kong, Ireland, England, Alaska, and across Canada and the United States.
Generations of nieces, nephews, and great-nieces and nephews have enjoyed Yonzie's zest for life and the hilarious stories that followed.
As there will be no funeral, the family welcomes memorial donations to Momiji Health Care Society in Scarborough (where Ray lived for 17 years). Please see link to the charity under the Donations tab.
Ray is survived by his daughter Candise; his sons Daryl "Manny" (Karola) and Stafford; his grandson Ryan; and his sister-in-law Vi Arima. He was predeceased by Agnethe “Aggie” Arima, Daisy Arima and Motoko “Mo” Nishidera; and by siblings Takako Tanaka (Zen), Toshiko Goto (Koji), Masayoshi "Mush", and Masakuzu. He will be missed by numerous nieces, nephews, and extended family.
Born in Marpole, British Columbia, Yonzie lost his father (Itaro) to a logging accident. Teen-aged Ray's family was relocated during World War II to a Japanese internment camp in Slocan, B.C. where his mother (Same) passed away.
Following the war, Yonzie and his three siblings moved to Hamilton, Ontario to start a new life. Ray had a creative imagination. He painted homes and commercial spaces with meticulous skill. In the early eighties, he operated Romney's, an upscale sheepskin shop in Toronto. Horse racing was a magnet for Ray's attention. A system to predict and handicap horse race performance was an active preoccupation well into his nineties. Casinos captured his interest too. He was happiest at the racetrack or casinos (across North America) with family and friends. He traveled extensively to places near and far including Japan, China, Hong Kong, Ireland, England, Alaska, and across Canada and the United States.
Generations of nieces, nephews, and great-nieces and nephews have enjoyed Yonzie's zest for life and the hilarious stories that followed.
As there will be no funeral, the family welcomes memorial donations to Momiji Health Care Society in Scarborough (where Ray lived for 17 years). Please see link to the charity under the Donations tab.