The 75-year-old was very sociable and enjoyed walking, Lori’s daughter said in an interview with CP24 on Sunday.
“He moved to this area because he liked the bike path. And he wanted to be close to the water,” he said.
On March 31, Arkwell and another pedestrian, 43-year-old Kelly Hamilton, were crossing at Lake Shore Boulevard and Superior Avenue when, according to police, they were struck by a speeding white Cadillac XT6.
The driver of the vehicle also lost his life after he collided with a parked trailer.
“We’re still working on it … You can not describe it. It ‘s like we’re in disbelief,” Lori said.
“We are shocked because she was so healthy and one would not expect to … not like that. It is so unexpected.”
Laurie said her family learned of Arkwell’s death on Friday morning.
“We saw on the news that there was an accident, a fatal one. Both my son (Christopher) and I started calling my dad and we couldn’t help it. And we gave him the benefit of the doubt,” Lori said.  he said.
“He usually calls us and informs us about something that happens and when he did not call, Christopher started to worry and then he made me aware and then I started to worry, but again, you would not think that something so tragic would happen.”
On Sunday, Lori returned to her father’s home in Mimico as the family prepared to celebrate Arkwell’s life.
“Christopher spent a lot of time here with him. Christopher and my dad were very good friends,” he said.
Lori shared that her father sent her a “good morning” message every day, talking to her about the weather and telling her old-fashioned jokes.
She said she last spoke to her father at 11:20 a.m., hours before the accident that drove her father.
“Mornings are hard, I miss this text every morning,” Lori said, holding back tears.  “Sometimes, it doesn’t hit you. Like off and on. It’s like off and on, off and on.”
“I miss him. I love him.”
Lori said she believed the accident could have been prevented and her father would still be alive.
Minutes before the crash, Toronto police said the driver was involved in a “minor skid collision” with a parked van in the Lake Shore Boulevard West and Eighth Street area.
Police said the driver had a seizure after the collision.
Emergency personnel were present, but police said the driver eventually re-entered his vehicle about 12 minutes later and fled the scene before police arrived.
Police revealed that the driver was under multiple bans at the time of the collision that should have prevented him from getting behind the wheel.  They included a nationwide driving ban and a provincial medical suspension of driving licenses.
“I do not understand. I do not understand how the car was in an accident or maybe a wing before this fatal. I’m not sure how he can get back in the car and just leave quickly,” Laurie said.
“Again, it is under investigation. And I guess I should leave it in the hands of the police and get it from there.”
– with files from Chris Fox and crime analyst Steve Ryan