John Barry Raney

John Barry Raney was blessed with an abundance of leadership qualities. It would be accurate to say that this man was an outstanding luminary and that his natural abilities served him well. He knew with certainty how he wanted to set priorities in all aspects of his life. He struck those who knew him as the kind of person who awoke in the morning with a clear sense of exactly what he expected from his day and how to set about accomplishing those goals. John was a man who definitely liked order and was most comfortable with an organized and structured lifestyle. When this climate was absent, John would set about immediately to create it.

      John was born on June 15, 1942 at St. Vincent de Paul Hospital in Brockville, Ontario. His parents were Franklin E. and Dorothy M. Raney. John was raised in Prescott, Ontario. John was brought up to be reasonable in his actions and was taught to use his intellect wisely. He was an honest and straightforward child, traits that reinforced his self-confidence. Even at a young age, John was credited with having a positive influence on those around him.

      The positive atmosphere that John generated spread to his family. John was raised with four siblings. He had one younger brother Paul, and three younger sisters, Linda, Joan and Ann. John served as a catalyst within the family. He often found himself in the role of providing fair solutions to those sibling disputes. In every family activity, John was able to demonstrate his uncommon logic and skill at building compromise.

      John's enthusiasm for learning and the personal energy that enthusiasm generated led to his exhibiting leadership qualities early on in his childhood. He liked to see things executed properly and showed a skill for taking control of situations that were drifting out of control. At the same time, he was willing to experiment with different approaches as he worked a plan towards a solution. As a young boy, he took part in football, hockey, basketball, and baseball. He was an altar boy, and a Boy Scout. In his spare time he liked swimming, water skiing, skiing, golf and hunting. John's memorable achievements included swimming across the St. Lawrence river at the age of 16.

      When it came to academics and school, John's organizational skills reaped dividends. John was able to create a system for getting his class work done in a proper and timely manner. With a strong ability to analyze his schoolwork and assignments, he could apply a practical, common sense approach completing his studies. He showed a natural curiosity in the manner in which he tackled new types of problems and would regularly challenge his own reasoning ability in finding solutions. He graduated from South Grenville High School in 1963. He enjoyed some courses more than others and developed favourite classes and teachers. His favourite classes in high school were physics and math. The teacher he enjoyed learning from the most was Mr. Lyons.

      The work habits and approaches to studying that John utilized in high school also served him well in college. John always seemed on a quest for knowledge. He was able to generalize, summarize and compile information for his classes, employing a matter-of-fact approach. John was intuitive and mentally alert, seemed to crave the challenge of solving complex problems. He earned his Business Administration at E.O.I.T. (Ottawa) with favourite classes being history and economics.

      In a group of friends and acquaintances, John was typically the first person to take the initiative to go up and greet someone new. That quality made him very approachable by others throughout his life. This same quality brought John the reward of many friends. Maintaining loyalty to those friends was a trait that came naturally to John. He believed that he should treat others in a fair manner, in the same way he wanted to be treated. John also showed a great deal of appreciation for the accomplishments of his friends. While growing up, some of his best friends were Tom, Mel, Hal, Dave, Don and Charlie Kerr. Later in life, he became friends with Mike Tatham, Robert Terro, Ken, Borden Leader, and Ted Shuh.

      As John knew in other aspects of his life, he had a clear vision of what he sought in a relationship and worked hard to achieve it. On July 27, 1968 John exchanged wedding vows with Linda Mary Thomson at St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church in Borurlamaque, Quebec. Linda was a significant part of his life, and it wasn’t necessary for John to be overly sentimental or expressive about it for others to be aware of their mutual devotion. John's secret to success was that he always kept the lines of communication open in the marriage and applied the important skill of being a good listener.

      Family and children were important to John, even if he didn’t always show it. John was blessed with two children, one daughter, Beth, and one son, David. They were also blessed with nine grandchildren, Carlie, Caitlyn, Lucas, Jessica, Tyler, Lauren, Brett, Liam, and James. John was able to keep order in the family by using the same efficient and straightforward methods with the family as he did at work. John rarely made a scene when it came to discipline. Instead, he was subtle and patient in his dealings when teaching the children right from wrong.

      At work John was viewed as a natural leader. He could marshal all of the available resources, including personnel and materials, in order to meet virtually any objective. He was great at developing strategies and made maximum progress with little wasted effort. John was also adept at uncovering new and more efficient ways of getting things done. He was able to establish and meet objectives and schedules through long range planning and was always able to keep the big picture clearly in sight. Although John might have been described by some as an overachiever, he was without question a dedicated and diligent employee. His primary occupation was as Vice President of AON - Reed Stenhouse. He was employed for 40 years in the insurance industry.

      Not only did John find pleasure in pursuing his various hobbies, he also enjoyed the discovery and research involved in learning about them. His skill at problem solving had a positive influence on these activities as well. His favourite pursuits were gardening, wood working, hunting, downhill/cross country skiing, snowmobiling, cottaging, lob ball, and curling.

      No matter what the activity was, John had the ability to motivate others. This talent influenced his participation in sports, too. He sought out the possibilities in a competitive situation, and he stayed cool and calm under pressure. He relished the stimulation of the action and energy associated with sports. In high school, John played curling, and basketball. Recreational sports included hunting, fishing, golf, and curling. He was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed following his favourite events whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list were football, golf, curling, and hockey.

      John's ability to motivate, direct and organize others made him a valuable asset to the organizations to which he contributed during his lifetime. John was one who could be counted on to work hard to implement goals and required little to begin work on a specific task. Once a project was begun, John had a definite methodology for seeing it through to completion. In high school, John was a member of the Curling Club and Army Cadets. Throughout his later years, John was an active member of the curling clubs, and golf clubs.

      There were occasions in John's life where he would find himself involved in a cause or leading an organization and event where his drive to complete the project or meet the established goal was more important than his concern for the philosophy behind it. It was this kind of commitment and drive that earned him praise and honors throughout his life. Some of his most prestigious awards included awards within the insurance industry and in sports for curling and golf.

      Travelling, especially vacations, was another way for John to apply his exceptional leadership and organizational skills. He liked exploring different places but also enjoyed designing and scheduling the trips in advance. He had real talent for developing the perfect itineraries. Favourite vacations included the Isle of Man, Ireland, Caribbean locales, and the Haliburton Highlands.

      John was a lover of animals and cherished his pets. His family was rounded out by "Coadie" a Samoyed, his cat and two Pudelpointer dogs, "Brandi" and "Coco".

      When John's retirement finally came in 2005, he was well prepared. He had worked out all of the details well in advance and knew exactly what he was going to do. His new life involved relocating to the cottage in the Haliburton Highlands. In retirement, he found new pleasure in playing golf, and curling. He refined his woodworking skills, and produced extraordinary gardens. Always a well-informed person, John enjoyed adding to his wealth of knowledge. Retirement afforded him the time to enjoy that experience and provided one more opportunity to look ahead at what life might offer him.

      John passed away on March 19, 2013 at Lakeridge Health, Oshawa. John fought a valiant 18 month battle against pancreatic cancer. He is survived by his wife Linda; his children Elizabeth and David and his grandchildren Carlie, Caitlyn, Lucas, Tyler, Brett, Jessica, Lauren, Liam, and James. Services were held at Holy Cross Catholic Church in Whitby, Ontario. John was laid to rest in Thornton Cemetery in Oshawa, Ontario.

      John Barry Raney knew what he wanted from life and never hesitated in going after it. He could be characterized as a driven individual, someone who understood the importance of achievement. John was decisive and outspoken at times but was also positive and upbeat about most things. He was a leader, both intentionally and sometimes by default. If he saw that something needed to be done, he was always ready to step up and actualize, organize and implement a plan.

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RANEY, John Barry

It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of John Barry Raney on Tuesday, March 19th, 2013. He was the cherished and devoted husband of Linda Thomson Raney, and the very proud father of Elizabeth (Beth) Brannon (married to David Brannon) of Whitby, ON, and David Raney (married to Ann Quaye Raney) of Brooklin, ON. His nine much loved grandchildren include Carlie, Caitlyn, Lucas, Tyler and Brett Brannon and Jessica, Lauren, Liam and James Raney. They shall truly miss their “Poppy”. John was born on June 15th, 1942 and his parents were the late Franklin E. Raney and the late Dorothy M. Barry Raney. John was the eldest of five children growing up in Prescott, ON. His siblings include the late Linda Raney French; Paul Raney (married to Meredith Shuh Raney) of Kingston, ON; Joan Raney Puskas (married to David Puskas) of Oshawa, ON, and the late Ann Raney Grant. He also leaves behind Mary Maddocks Thomson, his loved mother-in-law of almost forty-five-years, and his beloved maternal aunt and matriarch of the family, Mary Barry Major of Prescott, ON, He will be sorely missed by his many cousins, nieces, nephews, Linda’s family members and dear friends. The colleagues and friends in the insurance industry where John had an illustrious career are fondly remembered. The ongoing support and love from so many have sustained us through this eighteen month journey of illness. John’s courage, tenacity and spirit have been inspirational. Visitation will be held at OSHAWA FUNERAL HOME, 847 King Street West (905-721-1234) on Thursday, March 21st from 2 – 4 and 7 – 9 p.m. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at HOLY FAMILY CATHOLIC CHURCH (91 Ribblesdale Dr., Whitby) on Friday, March 22nd at 10:30 a.m. Interment Thornton Cemetery.