John Arena, passed away at the age of 98 unexpectedly, on February 11, 2023. Born in Calabria, Italy, he travelled alone to Australia by ship at the age of 14 in search of his father, who had gone there many years earlier to seek his fortune. As an Italian citizen during WWII, John was interned at 18. Looking back, he considered himself lucky because that was where he learned to speak, read and write English. Following the end of WWII, Australia is where he discovered his love for the culinary arts, the field in which he continued to work following the war. Arriving in Toronto in 1957, John worked at the King Edward Hotel, where he met his future bride. Over the decades that followed, he helped shape the hospitality industry in Canada. His claim to fame was Winston’s Restaurant, which he purchased in 1966. Winston’s, together with its catering division, became synonymous with fine dining, catering to the elite including prime ministers and royalty. His achievements include co-founding DiRoNA (Distinguished Restaurants of North America), the Italian Culinary Institute for Foreigners and the Ontario Hostelry Institute. His significant contribution to the founding of the George Brown Centre for Hospitality and Culinary Arts is one of the achievements he was proudest of. The other was catering for 45,000 people on the occasion of Pope John Paul II’s visit to Toronto in 1984, whom he had the great privilege of meeting personally. John’s vision, creativity and dedication to the industry were influential in creating the fabric of the Toronto we know today. John was predeceased by his beloved wife for 62 years, Reingard; and survived by his 4 children, Michelle, Gregory (Uli) Kristina and Giulia (Tim); 8 grandchildren; and 4 great-grandchildren.