It was a beautiful, crisp fall morning, on Tuesday, October 5th, 2021, when time stopped as don trupp shuffled off this mortal coil; he was 68 years old. Undoubtedly a rare gem, don lived his life outside-the-box. He was eccentric, avant-garde, and brilliant. don was the embodiment of "all that is art" and his obsession with creating beauty through colour and pattern was axiomatic.
don trupp was born on July 5th, 1953 in Stonewall, Manitoba. It was at the young age of five when don began his love affair with art. In 1972, don graduated from the Commercial Art Program at Victoria Composite High School in Edmonton, Alberta. It was in 1976, at Flashback Night Club in Edmonton, where don met his soulmate and partner-in-life, Teri Arcovio.
The pair set off for the Yukon three years later; on November, 15th, 1980, they were married in Whitehorse. The Yukon is where don established himself as an Artist, using acrylics on canvas, pen & ink, and watercolours. don exhibited his works in seven solo art shows and three group gallery exhibitions between 1979 and 1983.
Three of don's solo exhibitions sold out- with his first selling out in ninety minutes. don trupp's artworks are held in private collections across Canada, the US, Scotland, Germany, and Japan.
don and Teri's marriage was unconventional to say the least; as an openly gay man, don refused to conform to the societal conventions of parenthood. don fathered two children, Cerise Dio-enne on April 14th, 1984 and Jon-Selby Zachariah on November 24th, 1986. don was an extraordinary father: nurturing, accepting, and affectionate. don loved his children unconditionally, and he worked tirelessly to impart his wisdom and kindle enthusiasm.
don moved to Nelson, British Columbia in 2017; he truly believed that "the Kootenays facilitat[ed] the quirkiness of [his] eccentricities". Initially prompted by the endless counting of the recognizable patterns tormenting his reality, don used art to thwart these distractions: "I process colour with all five of my senses and my only escape from the distraction of patterns is to paint".
don trupp will be deeply missed by his soulmate and best friend, Teri Trupp (nee Arcovio), his devoted and loving daughter, Cerise Dio-enne, both of Nelson; sister, Heather Rennison (Brian), of Drayton Valley; daughter-in-law, Kasandra Beecroft, of Glasgow; Leonard & Laura Arcovio, John Arcovio (Janet), Joe Arcovio, and Mario Arcovio, all of Nelson; nieces and nephews Nick Rennison (Lisa), Chris Rennison (Cheryl), Astra Hoffert (Chris), and Hugh MacDonald, all of Drayton Valley; Stefano Arcovio (Allison), of Calgary, Selena Arcovio, of Edmonton, Dan Arcovio, of Nelson, and Carlo Arcovio, of Calgary; life-long friend Kevin McGinn, of Victoria; and close personal friends Kit & Ruby, of Berton, Alyx Graham-Taylor (David), of Nelson, Jackie Milburn, of Abbotsford, and Clayton Stitt, of Nelson. don was predeceased by his son, Jon-Selby, parents, Eunice & Sandy Trupp, and sisters Sharon MacDonald and Sandra Cameron.
Interment will take place on November 5th, 2021 at 11:30 am at Nelson Memorial Park; followed by a Memorial Ceremony at Thompson Funeral Service at 4:30 pm; and a Reception at 6 pm at the Trupp Residence. Donations can be made in lieu of flowers to CAHR (Canadian Association for HIV Research); CANFAR (Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research); CATIE (Canadian AIDS Treatment Information Exchange); QMUNITY (BC's Queer Resource Centre); PFlag Canada; or the Edmonton Queer History Project.
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