Barry William Bondarchuk

Barry was born in July 1960 in Newmarket, Ontario and realized at the age of seven he had a love for working. He would happily sweep for his mother, and collect errant golf balls on golf courses with his brothers and friends, selling them back to golfers. When he was a teenager he didn't mind shovelling gravel for his father, or helping a neighbour with farm chores.

In 1980 while hitch-hiking out West, Barry was offered a job with a flat roofing company, which set him on his career path. He had a special ability to find the source of roof leaks, and loved a challenge — looking upon each difficult leak as a puzzle he had to solve.

Barry also had the most remarkable ability for complaining at length about a multitude of topics, taking pride in this trait as it was one that he shared with his father, along with his strong work ethic.

Barry had a great love for animals and was a devoted cat dad to his four kitties — Rocky, Apollo, Lilly and Jack — that he shared with his spouse Shelley. They adored him, and would line up to greet him when he arrived home. Barry also had a knack for finding raccoons trapped in garbage cans and dumpsters, and would always help them to climb out.

Barry leaves behind Shelley Lowes, his spouse of almost twenty-seven years.Though he nearly drove her half-mad with his complaining and refusal to get a hearing aid for his partial hearing loss, he also tried to make almost every day special for her with treats and gifts. Always concerned about her, and with only a couple of days left before passing, he was cautioning her about things not to do after he was gone so she wouldn't injure herself. She will love and miss him forever.

Barry was preceded in death by his father Walter Bondarchuk and his mother Yvonne Bondarchuk. He is survived by his siblings Arlene (Mike) King, Brent, Stuart (Shannon), and Karen (Art), as well as nephews and nieces.

Barry was a hard-working, loyal employee of Industrial Roofing Services Ltd. since 2001, continuing to work though very ill with cancer, until five and a half weeks before he passed. He insisted he wasn't going to "lay down and wait to die", and was determined to keep his body as strong as possible, for as long as possible. Strength, perseverance, and sheer willpower — these were more traits that Barry had in spades.

In keeping with Barry's wishes, there will not be a service. Cremation has already taken place.

Special Note: To the clients who would request that Barry be personally sent to find and fix their roof leaks and other roof issues, Barry has unfortunately left the building.