LENA ADELAIDE HELEN BARRETT (CLARKE)

Adjust Text Size: A+ A-

LENA ADELAIDE HELEN BARRETT (nee CLARKE) September 15, 1908 - January 31, 2004 Lena was born September 15, 1908 in Armagh, Ireland, daughter of Robert Clarke and Laura Beatty, the eldest daughter of their six children. After her father died in the flu epidemic of 1919, Lena took on a great role in bringing up her brothers and sisters. In 1933 Lena married Robert Barrett (Rufus) of Bishops Stortford, England. He was an engineer and they met while he was working on the electrification of rural Northern Ireland. They moved to Salisbury, where they built a house on the road to Stonehenge. They had two children, Robert, born in 1935, and Judith Anne, in 1938. Upon the outbreak of war in 1939, Lena and Rufus did not expect that he would be called up at the age of 40. He was, and served in the Royal Engineers, building supply roads to Russia through Persia. With bombs falling around her into the chalk of Salisbury Plain, Lena took Rob and Judy and went to live with her mother in Armagh for the rest of the war, until Rufus return in 1945. They then moved to the village of Iffley, outside Oxford, where they spent most of the remainder of their very happy marriage. Lena and Rufus participated vigorously in village life, including opening their home to many Oxford students, among them their future son-in-law Frank Lamont of Winnipeg. Lena and Rufus celebrated their golden wedding anniversary in 1983. After Rufus died in 1985, Lena courageously faced a number of difficult years including her son Robs death from multiple sclerosis in 1990. The time on her own ended when she came to Winnipeg in 1999 to live with her daughter Judy and household. There she happily carried on with her needlework and received friends and a growing number of family members. Her indefatigable sociability never left her, and after breaking her hip on November 17, 2003, she endured the attendant difficulties, always happy to have human contact, often singing with Victoria Hospital staff and patients on several occasions during the past nine weeks. She leaves her daughter Judy Lamont of Winnipeg; grandchildren, Simon Barrett (Vikki) and Miranda Barrett of Los Angeles, John Lamont of Saint Andrews, Scotland, Alexandra Lamont, Dougald Lamont (Cecilia) and Laura Kirkland (Michael) of Winnipeg; great-grandchildren, Hibbert, Megan, Frances, Samuel, Marcus and Natasha; and numerous relatives in Australia, descendants of her brothers and sisters. She will be especially missed by Mary and Freddie. Details of the reception in Lenas honour on February 15 are available from the family. A service will be held in England, at which time Lenas ashes will be scattered at the foot of the preaching cross in Iffley churchyard, joining Rufus and Robs. Many thanks to April Harding, Diane of Home Care and to the excellent staff at Victoria Hospital for your care of Lena and support of the family. In lieu of flowers, please make any donations to the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada, 141 Bannatyne Ave., Winnipeg, MB R3B 0R3. There will be a reception for Lena on February 15. Contact Judy or Ali for details.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Feb 07, 2004