John Barry Lee

Barry was predeceased by his older brother, Bob, and his younger sister, Mary Anne, both neurologists in Calgary, Alberta. He is survived by wife Jane, son Jeff, daughter Nancy, and five grandsons.

Barry was born April 6, 1940, in Montreal, Quebec. His family moved to the High Park neighbourhood of Toronto in 1947. In his adolescence, while his siblings pursued academia, Barry was drawn to the rural life through time spent at his grandfather‘s farm in Nassagaweya Township. At age 20, he borrowed $12,000 to buy a rundown 100-acre farm near Eden Mills, where he taught himself to farm with the help of supportive neighbours. He took great pride in his small herd of Hereford cattle, his top-quality Yorkshire pigs and cash cropping on his own and his father‘s properties. Barry rented the farmhouse to University of Guelph students and, in 1972, he married one of his tenants: Jane, his devoted wife for the next 54 years. Major renovations of the stone house followed as Barry discovered a new passion for woodworking and historical restoration of century homes. One of the barns was converted to a carpentry shop and for a number of years, Barry did custom cabinetmaking projects for many local homeowners. In 1993, Barry and Jane purchased a 77-acre property in nearby Puslinch with the main attraction being a large Georgian-style stone house. They spent the next 20 years making significant overhauls to the house and property, moving there in 2014. Barry was a very passionate supporter of farming and his local community, prompting him to run successfully for Milton Town council in 1989. He spent the subsequent 22 years as a local and regional counsellor in Halton Region, strongly advocating for responsible land use and aquifer protection in the area. His love of the natural environment also led to his service of many years on the board of the Grand River Conservation Authority. With their young children, Barry and Jane shared their love of the Georgian Bay, spending time on a remote island near Key River, and, in later years, enjoyed the Lee family cottage on Six Mile Lake.

Special thanks to staff at Morriston Park Nursing Home who provided compassionate care to Barry during his final few months.

Friends and family will be received on Wednesday, September 16 from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm at Gilbert MacIntyre & Son Funeral Home, 1099 Gordon St, Guelph, N1G 4X9. A celebration of Barry’s life will take place at 12:00 pm in the Fellowship Lounge. Refreshments will be served.

As expressions of sympathy, please consider donating to:

Alzheimer Society, Waterloo Wellington https://alzheimer.ca/ww/en

Grand River Conservation Foundation https://www.grandriver.ca/who-we-are/grcf/make-a-donation/#