It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Julie Anne Barry in Calgary, AB on July 3, 2020.
Julie will be lovingly remembered by Terry Simpson, her partner of 23 years; her mother Margaret (late Patrick Barry); her siblings Pat (Diane), Stephen (Andrea) and Tim; her niece Nina; and nephews Stephen, Christopher (Gabrielle), Artem (Maija), Suren and Martin.
Born in Montreal, Julie moved to Calgary in 1981, quickly becoming an impassioned Westerner for the rest of her life. She loved small-town Alberta life, especially the rodeos. Julie always had a love of animals. At 3, she had her first pet cat. She has had cats, dogs and/or fish ever since. There is anecdotal evidence of a turtle. She loved walks along the ravine near her home with Spooky.
Music was an integral part of her life. She taught herself the guitar and piano. Julie was part of the Montreal French folk music scene and participated in recordings with budding artists. Later in Calgary, many will have memories of visiting Julie and Terry’s home and listening to music - in particular, recordings of Joni Mitchell. She had a keen ear for music. Evenings at Julie’s would easily extend into the wee hours with lively conversation, playing records and drinking wine. She loved, and laughed, and could play the piano and guitar better than most and had a fine singing voice - a great memory for lyrics. Julie posted a well-followed (and sorely missed) Song of the Day on Facebook.
She would not hesitate to host special occasions at her home, such as wedding anniversaries, family gatherings and house parties for musicians she passionately believed in. The ambience was always relaxed, the food and libation delicious and endless. She gladly accepted to babysit her Calgary nephews as the occasion arose and took a mischievous delight in spoiling them with late nights of TV, popcorn, and fun activities. Mum was always the word. Such evenings forged an enduring bond of love and trust with her young confederates.
She shared in the joy of being a step-grandmother to Karlie and Noah, the children of Terry’s son, Buckley. Julie had a warm and easy conversational style. She could be a tad outspoken, always poised to express an opinion. If your life were falling apart and you needed to talk to someone at four in the morning, you would do well to have Julie’s number.
Julie passed away at 4:30 in the morning. For those that knew her, that was her favorite part of the day.
If friends so desire, memorial tributes may be made directly to a charity of their choice.
The family wishes to acknowledge and thank the medical staff in Unit 36 of the Foothills Medical Centre for their professionalism and compassionate care given to Julie.
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