The news of Arlene’s passing leaves a definite hole in our hearts.  We were blessed to have known her, hear her orate in such a poetic way and enjoy precious time spent with her sharing meals, road trips to her cottage in Bath and experiences with our family.  She married us. She Christened all our children and filled our lives with love, wisdom, laughter and common sense.  Rest In Peace, my friend and thank you for all your years of service and friendship.  Xxoo The Boyd Family.

David Riches and family,
A  number of years ago I worked with Arlene in the chaplaincy service in the Halifax hospitals. Arlene was a kind and caring minister who provided excellent support to patients and family. David she often spoke of you and the important role that you played in her life. We also knew her through her ministry at Bethany United Church. Arlene loved nature and she often used illustrations based on what she saw in the living world around her. May the Spirit of God be your source of comfort in your time of grief and loss. 
God bless,
Rev Blair and Ruth Lewis

Arlene was a gentle, warm and caring person and she exemplified this during her time as the Minister at Rockingham United Church. She was a friend to many, including my mother, Fran Paton. A donation has been made to Rockingham United Church in memory of Rev. Arlene. 
My sincerest condolences to you, Arlene's family. 


To David & family,
Arlene was a very special person. I came to know her while studying at AST when AST was in it's infancy -- during it's first two years 1970-72 and in its first Convocation. She would have the class over to the apartment for evenings and snacks at times. Since then, there have been Class reunions, visits to Halifax, church meetings, Christmas cards and phone conversations. We chatted last only a couple of weeks ago and Anna and I put a Christmas card and note in the mail to her this week. How sad to learn of her passing. The church has lost a kind, caring, gentle, wonderfully-listening and encouraging person and minister -- as have you, whom I recall from your younger years.

David, our prayers and thoughts are with you and family.
Roland (Class of '72) and Anna

My sincere condolences to David and Wit on the passing of your mother, Arlene. I was deeply honoured to be called to her bedside as she was dying and I was glad to see you again after so many years and to meet Wit.  Arlene and I were at AST together graduating in 1985. As single parents juggling our studies and the challenges of our children, we had much in common.   She was a good friend to me and I knew her as a ready listener and gentle soul. Our paths diverged after graduation and  ordination  but in 1990 I asked her to officiate  for my marriage at Rockingham Church which she graciously agreed to do. We were not in the same presbytery until I moved to Halifax upon retirement and we reconnected and again in more recent years through meeting her at St Matt's .  She was a beautiful person and loved you dearly, David. She was a faithful servant of God throughout her ministry and clearly  her kind and gentle nature and wonderful pastoral care have made her much loved by the people she served. May Arlene rest in the Love and Life of the Holy Mystery,  and may you be comforted, David and Wit.

Arlene was our Minister at Rockingham United and my (then) two teenage boys thought the world of her! She was a lovely, gentle person. My thoughts and prayers are with all who love her and will miss her presence in their lives.

I had the privilege of working in team ministry at Rockingham United with Arlene from 1995 to 1999. Arlene was a loving, compassionate human being who touched and influenced so many lives. She made a difference in this world and you, David, have every reason to be proud of her. Heartfelt sympathy on the death of your mother, David. May your memories bring you some comfort. 

To know Arlene was to know kindness; to speak to her was to receive peace and comfort. She played a very special role in our family performing the marriage ceremonies for both of our daughters and baptizing two of our grandchildren.  She was indeed a very special lady, and a wonderful minister. We were truly blessed that she was part of our lives. 

Condolences from Kincardine-Upper Kent United Church NB. A donation in her memory has been made to The Atlantic School of Theology. 

Rev. Arlene will always have a very special place in our hearts.  She lived out her faith with gentleness and kindness, and Bethany United Church was the beneficiary of that active ministry.  Love to Arlene and our sympathies to Arlene's family.   Sincerely, Jim and Rhonda Musgrave


Coming to know “Mrs. Riches” as an adolescent friend of Dave, I appreciated what a warm, welcoming and loving person she was. Her door was always open, just like her heart. I’m quite certain everyone who came across her could feel it, too. Take care, Dave and Wit. 

The Family of Arlene Riches.
Heather and I wish to express our sincere condolences to David and Family. We first met Arlene at the Rockingham United Church where our family attended during the 1980s. She was a wonderful Minister and one we all deeply respected and admired. When our Daughter, Crystal, was dying with cancer Arlene kept in close contact with her right up to the end and beyond with Heather and I. We will never forget her!
God Bless You and we are thinking  of you during this difficult time.
Heather & Terry Hennigar.    


My memory of Arlene comes from her time at Rockingham United
where she was both my minister and my friend - a special kind and 
caring person.  She was a lovely lady.

My sympathy to David and family


It was a privilege and joy to be a friend of Arlene’s when and after she was minister at St. John’s then St. Andrew’s churches. She was a wonderful speaker and so caring to everyone. Her voice and phone messages were legendary! She loved nature and her sermons often centered around garden themes. She loved Point Pleasant Park and her own garden in New Brunswick. 
Please accept my sympathy, David and Wit, on the  passing of your mom/mom-in-law. 

My deepest sympathy to David and the family of Arlene.  It has been many years since I worshipped with Arlene at Rockingham, but I loved her dearly and thought of her so very often, even after she retired from ministry.  Arlene was a unique and precious soul and has left a long legacy of kindness and spirituality.  I shall continue to remember her, and her gentleness will continue to be
a strong example to me.  Blessings to all, Kathy (Stone) MacNeil
Director of Music, Rockingham United Church

To The Riches Family:
We met and knew Arlene since our days at Acadia University in the 1960s and renewed our acquaintances when we moved to Halifax in the 1990s. We learned of Arlene's death from Rev. Kevin Little at Bethany United Church and have been waiting to read her obituary.  

The photo that accompanied her obituary brought smiles to us because it was such a perfect picture of her and her always-beautiful smile. We offer our sympathy on Arlene's death and were saddened to learn the news. However, we were happy for her that she passed away in her sleep. Arlene was a beautiful, genuine and caring person. May your memories of her bring you comfort as your grieve your loss and later, bring you joy for the person she was.
Grace and Richard Beazley



Arlene and I have been close friends for almost 60 years. We met in London Ontario at the start of our careers (Arlene was a librarian at the London Public Library), when we were both looking for someone to share an apartment. We have stayed in  touch over the years even though most of that time she was in the Maritimes and I was in London.
My special memories with Arlene include driving across Canada and up the (then gravel) Alaska highway and back one summer, visiting her at her cottage near Perth Andover (one of her favourite places) and a birding outing to Point Pelee. 
I have many letters from Arlene - from Cape North, Perth Andover, Fredericton, Vegreville, Port Alberni and Halifax. Some describe special occasions but most vividly recount day to day happenings in her life. I treasure them.
In recent years we stayed connected by phone and my visits to Halifax. Arlene was always there to listen patiently, lovingly support or just have a good catch-up chat. She was a kind, caring, beautiful person. I feel privileged and very thankful to have been her friend.
I send my sincere condolences to David and her family.

Our sincere condolences to David and family. Your mother was a special person to so many  and went above and beyond her ministerial duties to be a comfort and support in a time of need. She was as well a true and trusted friend to many.

Fond memories of Arlene when she was at Rockingham United.

My sympathy to her family

I am offering David and Wit my sympathy upon the loss of Arlene.  Arlene was a lovely person who assisted many people professionally in her role as minister and in her personal life with her warmth and kindness.   

OBITUARY

Arlene Elizabeth Riches

February 15, 1939 – December 2, 2021

JA Snow Funeral Home

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