Obituary of Arnold Mitnitski

The family of Arnold Mitnitski is sad to announce that Arnold died on May 26th after a brief illness.

He leaves to mourn his wife Larissa, daughter Julia and family who loved him very dearly. Arnold was a loving grandfather and a great inspiration to his two grandchildren, Ida and David, who follow in his footsteps in medicine and science.

His family will forever cherish the memories of exploring the great outdoors where he loved to bring them, from Herring Cove in his home province of Nova Scotia, to Cap-Lumière on the shores of New Brunswick. A brilliant, kind, and humble man, with a deep appreciation of music – not for nothing is Julia a classical pianist – Arnold was much beloved and admired by a wide range of friends and colleagues, in many disciplines, here and in many countries. An established mathematician and scientist in the former Soviet Union, after some years in Montreal, in 2000 Arnold moved to Halifax.

He began as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine to work full time on mathematical aspects of ageing with his friend and colleague Kenneth Rockwood. Arnold’s fundamental contributions to understanding frailty drew international attention, and in 2020 he was made University Research Professor of Medicine. Arnold retired, more or less, two years ago, and was honoured to have been acknowledged as Professor Emeritus of Medicine. He had a special love for Dalhousie, and especially the opportunities afforded to him by the Department of Medicine.

Arnold was very grateful for the skilled care of Dr Nick Forward, and with his friends and family of the excellent and compassionate care of Dr Ward Patrick, and all the staff at 3AICU at the VG. Donations in his memory can be made to the QEII Research Foundation, or the Dalhousie Medical Research Foundation, long-time supporters of his outstanding contributions to science and to health care