Barry James Whiteley

Barry James Whiteley, third generation Calgarian born August 9, 1957, passed away peacefully on Friday, December 20, 2024.

Barry grew up with five brothers and one sister first in Calgary, then in Edmonton, and moved back to Calgary in Y2K to fish his favorite spots on the Bow River, and at Ghost Lake.  Barry travelled Alberta and made sure that he stayed close to his family.

Barry developed a talent for refinishing hardwood flooring and learned an assortment of handyman skills.  Barry was also a backyard auto mechanic, and he loved to repair and refurbish many things. He was also exceptional at calligraphy. Barry was an avid collector of everything from vinyl records, CDs, VHS, and cassette tapes to lapel buttons and pins, and everything fish.

Barry wore his heart on his sleeve, especially cheering on the Edmonton Oilers while watching Wayne Gretzky grow up on his living room big screen TV.  He also realized Sam Gagne was a huge presence on the ice and Sam became one of Barry’s favorite Oilers.

Barry had a keen sense of humor, and a remarkable witty intellect. Most of us could say that he always tried to make his words profound and meaningful.

He truly enjoyed a home cooked meal, especially when he could share it with his family.  Barry was always ready in the kitchen to mash the potatoes, and to help set the table, and clear up the dishes after our meals.

Barry was a true Leo the Lion under the zodiac and believed that he had nine lives.  His ninth was living the Big Book for many years on a daily basis.  His sobriety was testamental to his strong will. Barry endured life’s challenges with a strength of character which is truly admirable.

We will all miss Barry’s presence each and every day and realize that he is at peace, the way he envisioned it to be. Barry truly embraced his faith, as well as realizing his own conception of God.  His spiritual connection to his Savior gave our dearest Barry the courage to accept the things that he could not change and embraced accepting it as God’s Will.

Our beloved Mother’s deep faith also taught us that we are all God’s children. We are all grateful for our Lord who graciously lent our family His son Barry for his time here on Earth. We pray for Barry’s everlasting Peace, through Christ Our Lord… Amen

Close friends and family will gather together to celebrate Barry’s life.

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