It is with heartfelt sadness that Videoscope announces the loss of Arnold Vanderveen, our Manager of Engineering Services. Arnold passed away suddenly on Wednesday, July 11, 2007 at age 55.

Arnold was a vital part of the Videoscope team, in charge of Broadcast and Professional installations since 1989. He provided engineering consultation, supervision, installation, trouble-shooting, and control system programming.

Stephen Granger, of Granger Digital, met Arnold as a Videoscope customer, and became his close friend.  Below are excerpts from Stephen’s eulogy:

Arnold loved to bike… he lived to bike… and last Wednesday he passed away biking.

For years now, Arnold and three of us, myself, Dan and Jeff, would get together on a weekday evening to bike. There were two stages to our Wednesday night rides:
The first stage was the ride itself.  With the wind on our faces and the setting sun in our eyes, we would take to the hills and streets in and around High Park, the Old Mill and South Kingsway.  About 2 hours and 40 or 50 kms later, we would cool down with a few laps in  High Park.
The second stage was equally important and very easy to transition to…the beer. Arnold and the three of us loved the satisfaction of a job well done. We would bike over to Jeff or Arnold’s house and reward ourselves with some ice cold beer. As refreshing and satisfying as the beer was, it didn’t even come close to the enjoyment we had sharing the evening, talking, laughing, and reminiscing about that night’s ride.

Which brings me to Wednesday July 11th… a ride that began like any other.  Finishing our last cool down lap in High Park Arnold said, in his usual cheerful voice: “Well, I’ve had enough for tonight… I think I’m ready for a beer!”  Little did I know those would be the last words Arnold would speak.

15 seconds later, Arnold made the transition… from the challenges of the ups and downs of the hills of life, from a lifetime of hard work and perseverance… to his second stage, his final stage, a peaceful place where he can relax, and look back with satisfaction… of a job well done

With 30 years in our industry, there were many jobs well done. Arnold was with Adcom Electronics Ltd for nine years and four years with the CBC.

At Videoscope Arnold was instrumental in designing and installing training rooms, boardrooms, lecture theatres and other integrated systems at institutions such as the University of Western Ontario, University of Waterloo, Cambrian College, University of Toronto, and The Law Society of Upper Canada’s Osgoode Hall. He was responsible for multiple installations at Ford of Canada, Hockey Hall of Fame, Proctor and Gamble and Ontario Hydro.

In 2000 and 2002, Arnold took leaves to work as a Broadcast Maintenance Technician at the Olympic Games: the Winter Games in Salt Lake City and the summer games in Sydney, Australia   His bicycle accompanied him to Australia and took him all over Sydney.

Arnold’s current projects included Digital Signage for Bell World and LCD monitor installation at Toronto’s new soccer stadium, BMO Field.

Arnold is mourned by his wife Irmeli (Lee); mother Homiena; brothers Jan and Hans; his sister Margaret and his twin sister Ina; numerous nieces and nephews and by his Videoscope family. He also leaves many friends including his cycling friends, Jeff, Steve and Dan. Arnold was an extraordinary man who would truly do all he could for others. He will be greatly missed.