Father, grandfather, husband, brother, uncle, friend, dentist, lover of life. Born Sept. 3, 1940, in Toronto. Died Dec. 7, 2010, in Toronto of liver cancer, aged 70.
Known as Grandpa Treats, Big Daddy, Daddyo, Honey Pie, Dr. R, Arturo and sometimes Art or Arthur, Dr. Arthur H. Rubinoff had so many endearing monikers because he touched so many different groups of people.
He loved Toronto. He grew up in Parkdale with his parents, Sam and Claire Rubinoff, and lived most of his life in the Annex neighbourhood. By all accounts he was the spoiled baby brother to Jeanne and by his own account a class clown. Early on he developed a passion for the arts and curiosity for anything new: a new movie, the opening of an art exhibit, the invitation to a Paris fashion show, a visit to an out-of-the-way diner, the taste of a new recipe or a trip to a foreign destination.
At 22, Arthur was one of the youngest graduates of dentistry at the University of Toronto. He opened his practice in the early sixties and continued to work full-time until three weeks before his death. He was one of the first Canadians to become an accredited member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentists. Known by patients and staff as Dr. R, he was an architect of beautiful smiles.
Those who called him Arturo knew of his keen eye for the arts, especially photography. He started collecting photography in the seventies long before it was popular to do so. He also won several amateur photography contests. On a visit to a California winery once, he debated at length the benefits and drawbacks of digital cameras with someone he thought was a tourist. Instead it was the winery's owner, Francis Ford Coppola. It didn't matter that he had been discussing cameras with one of the world's leading cinematographers – to Arthur he was a kindred spirit who shared a passion.
Arthur loved his family. He was daddy or dad to five children – Corey, Mara, Cayla, Sari and Mandy. He was thrilled to take them to art galleries, the ballet, the Stratford and Shaw festivals, auctions and the opera. He shared with them his love of the arts, cooking and, more importantly, his love of life.
His grandchildren called him Grandpa Treats. He made sure that on every visit he handed out a sugary treat (unusual for a dentist) or a toy. At the time of his death he had 10 grandchildren; an 11th, born in early January, was named in his honour.
He shared, for 17 years, his love of life with Patricia. They had many kooky terms of endearment for each other.
Arthur's nieces and nephews and friends often called him Big Daddy, not because of his size, but for his huge spirit and personality that filled a room.
No matter the name, those who knew Arthur were fortunate. From his life we should all take away the lesson of living ours to the fullest.