HAROLD ROBERT BARBER

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HAROLD ROBERT BARBER Harold passed away peacefully on July 15, 2011 in Calgary, Alberta at the age of 86 years. He was predeceased two years earlier by Joyce Barber, his loving wife of 62 years, as well as by two of his brothers Roy Barber and Barrie Barber. His memory will be cherished by his entire family, son Brian, wife Joyce and children Matthew (Alexis) and Gillian (Grant); son Darryl, wife Ann and children Lauren (Aaron), Heather and Kyle; daughter Bev, husband Pep and children Sean (Erin), Scott (Adelina) and Erin. He will also be fondly remembered by his brothers, Donnie (Marion), Dougie (Bev), and Dallas (Bev) and their families. As a longtime resident of St. James, and a 39 year employee of the Manitoba Telephone System, Harold will also be dearly missed by his many neighbours, friends, and former colleagues at MTS. Harold was born on February 8, 1925 and raised on the Barber farm in the Katrime area near MacGregor, MB. He left the farm in 1943 to join the Army, and served his country until his discharge in 1946. Shortly thereafter on December 4, 1946 he married Joyce Saunders, his high school sweetheart, in MacGregor, and they settled in Portage la Prairie. Harold began his career with the Manitoba Telephone System in 1946. His work with MTS took him from Portage to Gladstone in 1949, to Roblin in 1954, and then finally to Winnipeg in 1960, as he assumed positions of increasing responsibility. His strong sense of community was reflected in volunteer firefighting and municipal council roles in these rural towns. Harold retired from MTS in 1985 after a rewarding 39 years advancing communication services in Manitoba. He became a member of the Telephone Pioneers of America in retirement. As a 50 year resident of St. James, most of it on Carnarvan Rd., Harold became actively involved in various community activities in his retirement, including the Citizens for Crime Awareness where he was President of the St. James Chapter, and the St. James Assiniboia Seniors Centre, where he served as its President from 1991 to 1994. In his leisure time, Harold enjoyed his cottage at Winnipeg Beach, as well as golf and curling. In 2007 Harold and Joyce moved into the Sturgeon Creek Retirement Residence, where they enjoyed the amenities and support of the staff and home care providers. In 2010, Harold moved into the Deer Lodge Centre, and in 2011 transferred to the Colonel Belcher Veterans Care Centre in Calgary to be closer to family. The attentive and supportive care provided by each of these Veterans facilities were greatly appreciated by Harold and his family. As a prairie boy who understood the value of hard work, and had a deep sense of pride in his family, he will be profoundly missed by all who knew him. A memorial service and celebration of Harold's life will be held at Chapel Lawn Funeral Home, 4000 Portage Ave., at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 23, 2011. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the St. James Assiniboia 55+ Centre, 3-203 Duffield St., Winnipeg, MB R3J 0H6 www.stjasc.com. For those who wish to sign the online Guest Book please visit our website. Chapel Lawn www.chapellawn.mb.ca 885-9715

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Jul 20, 2011