Born 1940 (Vancouver) – Died December 23, 2020 (Nanaimo)

Barrie was best known locally as a stalwart of the Gabriola Museum and Historical Society (board member 1994-2004 and frequent contributor to the Shale). He was characteristically modest about his distinguished medical career, during which he received the Arthur Crease Award in his final year at UBC medical school in 1967; was chosen for a coveted psychiatry residency at McGill; completed postgraduate training at Stanford University; and was a member of the teaching staff at McMaster University and a psychiatrist for the Hamilton Psychiatric Hospital community outreach unit. After moving to Gabriola in 1990, Barrie brought his expertise to Nanaimo and joined the Mobile Outreach to Seniors team, practicing with them until he retired in 2000.

His curiosity was boundless; from Gabriola’s history to the mechanics of his wheelchair, he was a man who loved learning. He knew more about historical epidemics than most people want to know, had a passion for statistics, and would have revelled in the floods of data occasioned by the pandemic, undoubtedly producing much needed useful analysis.

Barrie was an empathetic and compassionate listener – a helpful quality as a psychiatrist and a friend. His daughter, Stacey, probably summed him up best: “He was generous and kind, ethical, and he loved to talk about pretty much any topic.”

He is survived by Cathy Humphrey, his wife of 57 years, Jonathan, his beloved son, his adoring daughter, Stacey, and brothers Blair and John.