Barry Michael Popoff

It is with great sadness that we say goodbye to a wonderful husband, son, brother, brother-in-law, uncle and friend.

Barry Michael Popoff passed away suddenly on July 21, 2016 at the age of 56 years. Barry is survived by Debbie, his loving wife of 28 years, his parents Anne and Bill Popoff, his brother Ron, his Aunty Ann and Roy Bader and cousin Dena and her husband Steve Adams. Also left to cherish his memory are his parents-in-law Edith and Allan Demers, brother and sister-in laws Lorne and Judi Watson, Gil and Janet Marshall, Phil Roy and Diane Demers and many nieces, nephews and friends.

Always holding a special place in Barry’s heart was his beloved dog, Charlie.

A Celebration of Barry’s life will be held on Thursday, July 28th at 2 p.m. at Memories Funeral Home, 13403 St. Albert Trail, Edmonton, Alberta.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Alberta S.P.C.A to celebrate Barry’s love of animals.

Newspaper Obituary in Grand Forks, BC

Barry Michael Popoff

It is with great sadness that we say goodbye to a wonderful son, brother, husband, cousin, brother-in-law, uncle and friend. Barry Michael Popoff passed away suddenly, in Edmonton, Alberta on July 21,2016 at the age of 56 years.

Barry was born in Penticton, B.C. on October 9, 1959. He attended grade school in Grand Forks and graduated in 1977. Throughout his youth Barry loved and excelled in athletics. He was a big man who had a incredibly strong pitching arm in baseball and basketball skills which often saw him as a scoring leader in high school. While attending the University of British Columbia, Barry had the opportunity to play football for the UBC Thunderbirds for 2 seasons.

Barry had a very successful career in the fire protection industry. He persevered with patience and rose through the ranks from being a tradesman in fire

sprinkler installation to becoming a national manager for his company. Barry’s career also led to meeting the love of his life Debbie Demers. Barry and Debbie

were married on October 8, 1988.

His main priority in life has always been taking care of his wife and family. Always there to provide whatever was needed with an unparalleled generosity.

He was also a big kid at heart, and made sure that fun was a part of every day. He loved his music and instruments, his motorcycles and ATV riding.

Every visit with Barry was an unknown adventure in play that has kept all who knew him young in heart as well.

Barry was predeceased by his Uncle, John Chernoff and many other relatives. Barry is survived by Debbie, his loving wife of 28 years, his parents Bill and Anne Popoff, his brother Ron, and also close to the family was his Aunt Ann and Roy Bader and cousin Dena and her husband Steve Adams. Also, cousins Polly Popoff, Florence Kalmakoff, Paul Semenoff, Alex Semenoff, Margaret Langston and John Tomilin. Also left to cherish his memory are his parents-in-law Edith and Allan Demers, brothers and sisters-in-law Lorne and Judi Watson, Gil and Janet Marshall, Phil Roy and Diane Demers and many nieces, nephews and friends.

Always holding a special place in Barry’s heart was his beloved dog, Charlie.

A Celebration of Barry’s Life was held in Edmonton, Alberta on Thursday, July 28. A private family celebration of Barry’s life will be held in Grand Forks

at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Heart and Stroke Foundation or the B.C.S.P.C.A. to celebrate Barry’s love of animals.

A golden heart stopped beating,

hard working hands at rest.

God took him home, It was His will.

But in our hearts he liveth still.

Message from Barry’s family

We are sorry we couldn’t be with you on this sad day.

Even though our declining health has kept us from being with you, and many miles separate us, our thoughts and love are with you today.

We join you in saying goodbye to the most thoughtful, generous and caring son, brother and friend. Our lives will be changed forever but we will always cherish the greatest memories one could ever hope for.

Our thoughts and prayers are especially with our beloved daughter and sister in law who has brought a special light to Barry and all of his family. Her kind and giving nature is truly a blessing,

Although we and our family will have our chance to say our final farewell to Barry in the near future we are still with you today in spirit and thank all of his friends and family for your love and support.

May Barry rest in God’s Heavenly Kingdom.

With all our love,

Barry’s parents Bill and Anne and brother Ron

Message from Barry's Aunt and Uncle

Dear Deb and family. We were so shocked and still in disbelief to hear of Barry’s passing, and that he will no longer be with us. He will be in our hearts forever he was one in a million with a heart of GOLD. We are so sorry we won’t be able to be there due to the distance and health reason’s. You will all be in our Thought’s and Prayers.

May the road rise up to meet you,

May the wind be always at your back,

May the sun shine upon your fields and until we meet again.

May GOD hold you in the palm of his hand.

Sending all our love always,

Aunt Ann and Roy

And special cousins Dena and Steve

Barry's Eulogy

On behalf of Debbie and our family, I would like to thank everyone for attending today to celebrate the life of my brother-in-law and friend, Barry Popoff. My name is Lorne Watson and this is my son Kyle Watson. On Thursday, July 21st our lives changed suddenly and forever. Our family suffered a great loss. At this time it is our honor to share a few of our favorite memories with you.

Anne and Bill Popoff had two children Barry and Ron. Barry was born in Penticton, British Columbia on October 9, 1959. Growing up in a fun loving family, the Popoff Residence was the place to be. Friends and family alike would often gather at Barry’s to hang out, play shuffleboard or billiards in the basement.

Barry’s mother recalls Barry being a model child who would often visit the neighbors just to see if he could help out in any way. In her words “I didn’t have to

brag because all the neighbors would always say how courteous and polite Barry was.”

Growing up in Grand Forks Barry kept active skating, swimming and tubing down the local river. He was also a star pitcher for the Little League baseball team and continued pitching through his high school years. As well Barry was voted Most Valuable Player on the high school basketball team. As for his academics, in Barry’s mom’s words….quote….”well….he never failed”. While his English assignments may have come back marked ‘incomplete’ on occasion, he was a wiz at calculations and with numbers.

As Barry contemplated his future he made the decision to become a teacher, heading to the University of British Columbia. It was especially hard on his mother who cried all the way home after dropping her first born child off at the frat house at the University residence. At the age of 19 Barry was approached by the Football coach to become a part of the U of BC varsity team. For three years Barry studied hard, played football and enjoyed the university life before deciding teaching wasn’t for him. So he packed up his worldly possessions and headed east to Calgary where he heard the streets were lined with gold. Well they weren’t and before long Barry was on the road again looking for a greater future in the Capital city of Edmonton.

Shortly after moving to Edmonton Barry gained employment at ITT GRINNELL as a pipefitter, a job that allowed him many unique opportunities at various job sites. It wasn’t unusual to find Barry on a remote barge or high in the sky in a helicopter as he traveled to destinations such as Spain and Inuvik, Northwest Territories. Aside from loving the many challenges of his job, Barry also enjoyed being a part of the company slow pitch team as the ‘star’ third baseman. This is where he first met his future wife Debbie who was also the ‘star’ first baseman. Low and Behold if the two didn’t eventually make a home run together. Barry finally got up the nerve and asked Deb on their first date in 1987 to an Edmonton Eskimo home game. Barry knew right away that Deb was special and excitedly told his mom that Deb was the one. Deb also thought Barry was pretty handsome…and courteous… and worthy of a dinner with her sister and brother-in-law…Judi and Lorne Watson.

Barry and I hit it off right away and after a few too many pops Barry challenged me…. to eat one of the eyes….that’s right the eyes of a Salmon fish. Why I don’t really know…. Well being from the coast I knew that I had to swallow it whole like an oyster. On the other hand Barry as a prairie boy made the mistake of chewing …..slowly just like his mother taught him….I still remember the sound of the crunch and the look on his face. Talk about first impressions. Needless to say Barry was never able to look another Salmon in the eye.

Debra Jane Demers and Barry Michael Popoff married October 8, 1988 at the Muttart Conservatory in Edmonton before honeymooning in Victoria, British Columbia. 28 years of marriage brought much laughter and joy and great memories. One of Debbie and Barry’s favorite hobbies was riding side by side on their Harleys. Initially it wasn’t a skill that came naturally to Deb and Barry patiently spent many hours helping her master ‘how not to tip the bike’ and more importantly how to stop!!!. It wasn’t long though and the two of them, dressed in their black leathers could be seen travelling many rural highways across Alberta and B.C.. Barry loved his bike, and riding with Deb and his buddies was one of his favorite pastimes.

Barry also loved to travel and he and Deb took many trips including Australia, Europe, Alaska and Bermuda to name just a few. During these holidays, Barry liked to browse through the shops, take in the sights and enjoyed conversing with the locals. One of their first cruise vacations was with Deb’s sister Janet and brother-in-law Gil. An amazing vacation in the Caribbean where Barry actually became a bit of a legend. Swimming in the ocean Gil swallowed some water and began to sink…until super hero Barry came up from nowhere and grabbed Gil from behind….to save the day.

Both Deb and Barry also enjoyed playing baseball and were a part of several community baseball teams. For some reason when Barry stepped up to the plate, everybody moved back….and I mean way back. But it didn’t matter. When Barry swung the bat it was out of the park

Barry’s talents also took him to the golf course where he and Deb enjoyed playing the links regularly at local golf courses and conventions. He especially enjoyed making the trip to Grand Forks where he loved golfing with his dad. Barry and Deb also enjoyed golfing at home with in-laws Edith and Allan. During one particular round Barry was on the 9th hole when he hit a bad slice. The ball went…..through the field…. over the fence …. into the pasture….and hit a sleeping horse. Poor horse got up, looked around….had no idea what hit him.

Another hobby of Barry’s was playing the guitar. Barry was self-taught and would spend hours practicing in the basement. Barry enjoyed it so much he had 6 guitars…one of his many collections. Barry loved collecting watches, sunglasses, shoes, hats, even cologne. After his retirement Barry had newfound time to shop online. He became an expert consumer at shopping for deals. And whether it was on-line or during his travels you could be sure to find Barry searching for one of his favorites…Harley Davidson t-shirts.

One of Barry’s favorite afternoon activities post-retirement was to spend time with his dog Charlie. Barry and his four legged friend were best buds who would spend hours tinkering in the garage making garden ornaments, polishing his new trike and of course having the odd afternoon nap together. Many days you would find Charlie and Barry snoozing together, side by side…it was a good life.

Barry would be the first person to laugh at himself, his sense of humor was the best. He loved to joke, photo-bomb a picture and crack up a crowd with his quick wit. Barry for the most part was a quiet man but he had this immense presence that people respected. Take Barry to a World Wrestling Smackdown for example. As a gift for pops me and Barry took him to a WWE smack-down. Great time…until the people in front started smoking. I kindly made them aware that smoking was not allowed but he had a few choice words and carried on. And then Barry stood up, all six feet five inches and very politely tapped him on the shoulder and asked them to put it out. There was no argument. Pretty good guy to have around. We then enjoyed the rest of our wrestling.

Despite his stature Barry was a gentle, kind man who loved to try new things. Deb would often come home from work to find Barry experimenting in the kitchen. He loved to bar-b-que and in fact and one thanksgiving decided to treat the family with a deep fried turkey. “Don’t worry Edith this will take a quarter of the time AND you won’t have to mess up your kitchen” he said. So Edith had everything else ready, the potatoes, the stuffing, the vegetables…The turkey, well that was another story….to everyone’s surprise the oil has to heat up….for several hours….That 5 o clock turkey supper was a 10 o clock turkey surprise.. Yes… Thanksgiving dinner ran rather late that year…..Come to think of it we never deep fried a turkey again….

Barry worked at ITT Grinnell/Simplex Grinnell for over thirty years, working his way up the ranks eventually becoming the District General Manager. In November, 2016, Barry accepted a retirement package. During the last eight months Barry learned how to slow down, relax and enjoy the simple things in life. On many occasions Barry would call Deb on her cell phone and say “Did I tell you I love you today?” Her response was always no, just so she could hear those three words again……..Three weeks ago Barry hopped on his trike and took what turned out to be his final ride. On a whim Barry had texted me and said hey want to go for some seafood….so Myself and Barry hopped on our bikes and highballed it for British Columbia for six days visiting with friends, seeing the sights. We were relaxed, the sun was at our backs, the mountains ahead…just a really good time. And Just like life, it really wasn’t about the destination, but the ride.

Barry loved his trike. Most bikers have a small bell hanging from the bottom of the bike frame. Some call it the guardian bell or the “Angel” bell. The Legend of the bell is to ward off evil road spirits and provide safe travels. I’ve got Barry’s bell here with me today. Barry you may have taken your final ride on your trike but your memory will be with us forever. (RING THE BELL)

Happy Trails Buddy, we love you.

Eulogy for Bill and Barry Popoff

DENA: Hello, my name is Dena Adams, nee Chernoff-Bader. I am Bill and Anne's niece and Barry and Ron's first cousin.

This is going to be a bit tough for me, but please bear with me. I asked my cousin Barry to speak at my wedding, and as he did with such poise and charm, I will honour him and my Uncle Bill by attempting to do the same.

On behalf of Anne, Ron, and Debbie I would like to thank each and every one of you for coming here today, to celebrate the lives of an amazing son, brother, and husband, Barry Michael Popoff and a wonderful husband and Father, William (Bill) Michael Popoff.

DENA: This was originally prepared prior to Bill's passing. (From Bill, Anne and Ron).

It is very hard to put together the words to express our feelings today. We never imagined this day. We have so many fond memories that we hold dearly in our hearts.

In 1987, Barry shared with us that he had met "the one". We couldn't wait to meet her. We too knew, right away, that Debbie, was "the one." Such a genuine, loving, woman, she fit into our family, just like it had never been any other way.

Debbie, we love and care for you so much, like you are our daughter. We want you to know how much it means to us that you included us in all of the decisions you and your family have recently had to make, preparing for Barry's final journey. With today's technology, we were able to experience the memorial service, shared with family and friends in Edmonton, Alberta. We are so blessed to have you here with us today along with your parents, Edith and Allan. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

JIM AND/OR WALLY: Please recite 1-2 psalms here in Russian. And a song.

DENA: Barry was born in Penticton, BC, on October 9, 1959. He attended grade school in Grand Forks and graduated in 1977. Throughout his youth Barry loved and excelled in athletics. He was a big man who had a massively strong pitching arm in baseball and basketball skills which often saw him as a scoring leader in high school. While attending the University of British Columbia, Barry had the opportunity to play football for the UBC Thunderbirds for 2 seasons.

Barry had a very successful career in the fire protection industry. He persevered with patience and rose through the ranks from being a tradesman in fire sprinkler installation to becoming a national manager for his company.

Barry's career also led to meeting the love of his life Debbie Demers. Barry and Debbie were married on October 8, 1988.

His main priority in life has always been taking care of his wife and family. Always there to provide whatever was needed with an unparalleled generosity. He was also a big kid at heart, and made sure that fun was a part of every day. He loved his music and instruments, his motorcycles and ATV riding. Every visit with Barry was an unknown adventure in play that has kept all who knew him young in heart as well.

Barry was predeceased by his Uncle, John Chernoff and many other relatives. Barry is survived by Debbie, his loving wife of 28 years, his Mom Anne Popoff, his brother Ron, and also close to the family was his Aunt Ann and Roy Bader, myself, and my husband Steve Adams. Cousins Polly Popoff, Florence Kalmakoff, Paul Semenoff, Alex Semenoff, Margaret Langston and John Tomilin. Also left to cherish his memory are his parents-in-law Edith and Allan Demers, brothers- and sisters-in-law Lorne and Judi Watson, Gil and Janet Marshall, Phil Roy and Diane Demers and many nieces, nephews and friends.

Always holding a special place in Barry’s heart was his beloved dog, Charlie.

DENA: Bill was born on August 29, 1930, to parents Mike and Martha Popoff in Grand Forks, B.C., where he lived his whole life. Bill was united in marriage to Anne Chernoff in 1953. In his teenage years he worked for 5 years in the Orchards of the Okanagan, later working for 5 years at a box factory in Greenwood, B.C. He then worked at Pope and Talbot for 35 years, 25 of those years as a grader operator, leveling logging roads. A heart attack led to early retirement in 1984.

Predeceased by his son Barry, his parents and a number of half brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews. Survived by wife Anne, son Ron, daughter-in-law Debbie and many nieces and nephews. Bill enjoyed a game of golf in the summer and did a fair amount of wood working as a hobby in the winter.

DENA: POEM

DENA: Bread, Salt and Water represent the material objects of the basic stuff of life, the traditional belief of the Doukhobor people. These objects symbolize peace and hospitality. Amongst the Slavic people, when one group met another, with bread and salt on a platter, this meant that they were willing to live with one another in peace and friendship and share with them the products of their labour.

JIM OR WALLY: Please recite the Lord's Prayer in Russian. Please ask all to stand and after to please be seated.

DENA: At this time, we would now like to ask that you all join us for a wonderful, traditional, Doukhbor meal. Barry was a self-trained chef, but would never turn away a home cooked Russian treat from Mom.

MEAL

JIM OR WALLY: Please recite the prayer of thanks for the meal in russian.

A song by Wally and Katie. The Dance.

JIM OR WALLY: At this time, is there anyone who would like to come up and say a few words.

We would all like to thank Becky, and help, for the amazing meal...

DENA: We thank you all again for coming to be with us today. Your presence, thoughts and prayers mean so much to each of us.