Arlene Gould, a prominent figure in the design community, passed away in Toronto, Ontario, on March 2, 2023, at the age of 76. Arlene is survived and lovingly remembered by Robert Cushman, her husband of 48 years, her three children Chloe (Peter), Anthony and Mitchell (Amy), her grandchild Sacha and her brother Lorne (Penny).
Born in Hamilton, Ontario on March 15th, 1946, the oldest child of Ida and Max Gould, a milliner and a menswear retailer and manufacturer. She studied English and Literature at the University of Toronto. After dabbling in filmmaking, Arlene moved to Paris and then London, where she worked as a journalist sending stories back to Canadian publications.
In 1971, one night at the Royal Court Theatre, she asked to borrow the program of the man sitting two seats over. Arlene and Robert were married four years later. They lived in London together for ten years, during which time Arlene completed her MBA at London Business School. It was there that she discovered her true passion – design, and how it underpins everything about our world. This led her to work for a time for the prestigious design firms Pentagram and Conran. Arlene and Robert’s life changed dramatically in 1986, when they had triplets! The next year, Arlene moved back to Toronto with her family.
Over the next thirty-five years of her career, Arlene championed design’s essential intersections with sustainability and urban planning, with such organizations as The Watt Group, The Design Exchange, Registered Graphic Designers, and the Design Industry Advisory Committee (DIAC). Arlene served as the Strategic Director of DIAC from 2001 to 2023. She also worked dedicatedly as an educator, as an Adjunct Professor at York University and at TMU. Her invaluable contributions to her field were recognized by an ARIDO/IIDA Leadership Award, a Lifetime Achievement Award from Sustainable Buildings Canada, and by her appointment as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. Arlene will be remembered for her remarkable creative drive, sharp sense of humour and, most of all, her boundless devotion to her family.
