Barry BARTEL

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BARTEL: Barry Joseph Bartel slipped away peacefully at the Palliative Care unit in the Assiniboine Centre in Brandon on February 4, 2012 at 49 years ofage. Barry was born in Brandon, Manitoba on October 23, 1962 to Abraham and Marlene Bartel and was the youngest of three boys. Barry was predeceased by his father Abraham Bartel, step-father George Gorzen and brother Brent Bartel. He is survived by his wife Pamela (nee Weenink), daughter Chantal and son Kyle; daughter Allyssa (from a previous relationship); mother Marlene Gorzen; brother Brad Bartel; grandmother Leanne Brown; father and mother-in-law Ben and Maria Weenink; sister-in-law Sonja (Mike) Chambers; sister-in-law Carol Dyck; nieces and nephews, and many aunts and uncles. Abraham and Marlene had divorced while Barry was young and Barry lived withhis mom and soon after stepfather, George Gorzen. Barry helped out George in his early years with moving buildings and granaries through Westman Building Movers. He anxiously anticipated for school to be out and summer to come to be able to help out. He loved to be included in the work of moving buildings for George. From there, Barry worked at Activity World and Westman Equipment. He married Kimberly Dooley in January of 1991 where they lived at the Brandon Hills Trailer Court and later divorced April 1993. Barry worked at Cando Contracting from April 1992 to January 2000 as a Supervisor/Heavy Equipment Operator. He was able to travel throughout various parts of Canada from the east coast to the west on the railway and loved every minute of it. He dated Tina Jerrom and on December 23, 1995 his first daughter was born, Allyssa Jerrom. With Barry's knowledge of living and growing up in a splitfamily, he did not want to create heartache or hardship and left all of the visitation decisions up to Allyssa's family. He was able to get to know his daughter through the cards and pictures that were exchanged and even managed to get at least one visit with Allssya out at the farm later in the following years. He worked at The Department of National Defense as a Heavy Equipment Operator from May 2000 to November 2001 and then returned to Cando as a heavy duty mechanic from November 2001 to August 2007. Cando was like a family to Barry. They were very supportive of him when he was firstdiagnosed with cancer in 2004. He never forgot anything that they had done for him. The tough decision was made to leave Cando to get out of the shop atmosphere and he worked for about four months at Wally's Trenching as an operator before beginning his current job at Westcon Equipment as a HeavyDuty Equipment Field Mechanic in January of 2008. He worked from his service truck going to all of the R.M. shops in southwestern Manitoba fixing Volvo Equipment. He enjoyed meeting all of the people from the various locations and made many new friendships. Barry met the love of his life, Pam in May of 1996 and they were later married on February 5, 1998. They spent all of their spare time together and never missed a day without talking to each other. Barry and Pam moved into the extra mobile home at Pam's parents' farm and began fixing it up - getting it ready for the family that was about to come, beginning with their daughter Chantal who was born on May 14, 1998. Barry was working for Cando at this time and usually out of the province, so Pam and Chantal would load up in the truck and head out to whatever hotel he was staying at so that he wouldn't have to miss out on any of the moments of being a family. Soon after, he changed his position at Cando so that he was in the shop in Brandon rather than out on the road so much. Their family; however, was still not quite complete and soon after, their son Kyle was born on May 13, 2000. They purchased an acreage south of Carroll, moved their mobile home onto the property and built the house that they live in presently. The family was able to take a few vacations throughout their busy years; to Drumheller for a family reunion for Barry's family, Toronto to meet up with friends that hadn't been seen for years and even travelled to the Netherlands to meet Pam's family in 2010. Barry always made time to help anyone out. If he knew that you needed a hand to complete a task or needed some sort of supply, he was sure that he had one of whatever you needed and he would be over in a minute to come help. Even after his cancer treatments/surgeries he would be back at it the next day; whether it be helping Ben and Maria out with sorting cattle for shipping or nailing 4x8 sheets of plywood on their house. The cancer never made him slow down. He never allowed it to become a huge part of his life. Every time a tumor would emerge he would stop for a few days to get it dealt with and then move on with what was going on at that time. Most days we were able to forget it even existed. Barry will be sadly missed by everyone around him. Each person he met knew him a little differently but no matter what, he was a ray of sunshine that entered the lives of each person he touched. There is nothing better than being best friends with the one you love. The day I met you, I knew we would be friends and I've been falling in love ever after. We have loved through the better and lived through the worse. We've thrived on sweet kisses and laughter. I've felt from the start so fulfilled and content as your partner, your lover, your wife. And I know in my heartthat the best part of all is..I married my best friend for life! I'm not letting go...everThe ceremony to celebrate Barry's life took place at McDiarmid Drive Alliance Church, on Friday, February 10, 2012. Pastor Earl Ricalton officiated. If friends so desire, donations in memory of Barry may be madeto CancerCare Manitoba, 675 McDermot Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3E 0V9.Expressions of sympathy may be made at www.memorieschapel.com.Arrangements were with Memories Chapel & Pre-Planning Centre, 727-0330.

As published in Brandon Sun on Feb 11, 2012