Crown Media Keith Dinicol on "Chesapeake Shores."
An actor who played a major role in the latest season of Hallmark’s “Chesapeake Shores” has unexpectedly died. Keith Dinicol, who played Arthur, died on November 18, 2021, according to a post shared on Facebook by his son. His character had just started to form a romantic relationship with Nell from the series.
Dinicol Died of a Stroke
In a Facebook post, Dinicol’s son, Sam, shared that his father died of a stroke on November 18.
Sam Dinicol wrote, in part:
On Thursday, a stroke took my Dad from us. Suddenly, he’s gone. While words cannot describe the shock and grief we are feeling right now, I can summon a few to tell you about the good man Keith Dinicol was.
My Dad will be remembered by many as a gifted actor. He was one of the finest classical character actors to ever grace the Canadian stage. He was rightly proud of his work. But he was even prouder of his family. The last text he sent us was a link to an article he had found about my brother Joe’s latest TV project.
This is a small snap shot of who my Dad was. An extraordinarily loving father, grandfather, and husband to his beloved Emma, my mom. A people-person with a big heart who was fiercely loyal to his people. As a man, he was the gold-standard.
He shared that his dad had taken up golf in his last few decades and he walked for two hours almost every day. Sam Dinicol shared that both his mom and dad had moved across the country last year to be near him.
“In that time, I have enjoyed weekly dinners with my parents — including a pre-meal Manhattan with Dad, as we tried to solve the problems of the world,” he said. “We watched the Super Bowl together. I took him out for a Father’s Day dinner. And yet still. It doesn’t feel like enough.”
Dinicol advised everyone reading his note: “Even when you think you’re giving all you can to your people, dig deeper and give more. Be even kinder. Be more patient. Love harder. You won’t regret it.”
Mark Jordan Legan, co-executive-producer for “Chesapeake Shores,” also shared the sad news on Twitter.
He wrote: “So sorry to hear of the sudden passing of Keith Dinicol. I had the pleasure of working with him and writing for him this past season on CHESAPEAKE SHORES and he was wonderful, sweet and talented. Rest In Peace, Keith.”
So sorry to hear of the sudden passing of Keith Dinicol. I had the pleasure of working with him and writing for him this past season on CHESAPEAKE SHORES and he was wonderful, sweet and talented. Rest In Peace, Keith. #Chessies #KeithDinicol #ChesapeakeShores
A “Chesapeake Shores” fan page also wrote its condolences, writing on Twitter: “We are sorry to hear about the passing of #KeithDinicol, who played #ArthurDriscoll on Season 5 of #ChesapeakeShores. He was a wonderful addition to the #Chessies family and will be missed deeply. Join us sending love, thoughts and prayers to his family.”
We are sorry to hear about the passing of #KeithDinicol, who played #ArthurDriscoll on Season 5 of #ChesapeakeShores. He was a wonderful addition to the #Chessies family and will be missed deeply. Join us sending love, thoughts and prayers to his family.🙏❤
In addition to “Chesapeake Shores,” Dinicol was a prolific actor who starred in “Schitt’s Creek,” “Reign,” “Designated Survivor,” “Jesus Henry Christ,” “The Taming of the Shrew” and many other productions.
Infotel, a local publication, reported that Dinicol will appear posthumously in an episode of the TV show “Breathe” in 2022. The publication shared that Dinicol was also a founder of the Youth Theatre which became the Kamloops Western Theatre. He was raised in Kamloops by a single mother and became the region’s most successful actor, Infotel reported.
Dinicol Starred as Arthur in 6 Episodes of ‘Chesapeake Shores’ This Season
This season, Dinicol starred in six episodes of “Chesapeake Shores.” He played the role of Arthur Driscoll, an older artist who was in hiding after his wife passed away years earlier. At first, Megan is the one who discovers his true identity and slowly works on getting him out of shell so she can show his art to the world.
But then when Nell meets him, they rekindle an old friendship they had from years earlier. Arthur begins visiting with her grandchildren and even encouraging one to focus on her own blossoming skill as an artist.
So sorry to hear of the sudden passing of Keith Dinicol. I had the pleasure of working with him and writing for him this past season on CHESAPEAKE SHORES and he was wonderful, sweet and talented. Rest In Peace, Keith. #Chessies #KeithDinicol #ChesapeakeShores
In the second-to-last episode, he attended Megan’s art show and was panicking until Nell helped calm him down. The two shared a beautiful dance together that stole the hearts of “Chesapeake Shores” viewers.
Arthur’s absence from the series is going to be felt deeply if the show is renewed. Many fans were becoming very invested in his and Nell’s love story.
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