Joseph Barna

Joseph Barna, Dipl Architect, OAA, MRAIC, passed away peacefully in his sleep in Toronto on Thursday April 23, 2020 at 90 years old of heart failure. Joseph is predeceased by his second wife, Viola Deak and first wife Maria Barna. A loving father of Melinda Rooke, Joseph Barna, and Emese Barna, a beloved grandfather of Lia Rooke, Natasha Rooke, Ryan Barna, and great grandfather to Sebastian Rooke Janitens, and a loving brother to Elizabeth Magony and Piri Palvogyi, whose children Joseph Magony, George Palvogyi, Julia Palvogyi, and grandchildren will miss their uncle Joe, along with all cousins, young and old.

Joseph will be remembered not only for his architectural and structural engineering accomplishments, but rather, for his legacy of love, ambition, hard work, and desire to share a better life with his family by coming to Canada from Hungary during the 1956 Hungarian Revolution with nothing. He fled Hungary with his two sisters, fell in love with Maria in the Vienna Lager, and arranged for all of them to come to Canada eventually including his parents in the early 1960’s. After settling in Toronto, Joseph also helped many of his fellow countrymen to share in his dream via his strong family connection with the Hungarian Saint Elizabeth Church.

In Hungary, after graduation, Joseph was part of an architectural design team responsible for flood reconstruction and rebuilding of homes. In Canada, from 1957 to 1966, he was part of an engineering team responsible for the civil and structural engineering of school buildings, roads, and bridges throughout Ontario and received an award from the American Bridge Division of United States Steel. From 1966 onward, he was part of many design teams for high-rise apartments, residential developments, and shopping centers in Toronto, Brampton, and Ottawa. In the 1970’s after passing his examinations, and achieving his architectural license and practice in Ontario, he continued to work as a Senior Designer of many high-rise apartments, condominium buildings, townhouses, residential complexes, and even some industrial and institutional buildings. Joseph was highly respected by his peers for his creativity and vision, and in the early 1980’s, Joseph designed and built his own dream home: modern, spacious, and functional, which he always kept and enjoyed his entire life.

Joseph had big baby blue eyes, and a huge sense of humor liberally shared daily with everyone. We are so proud of him for every mountain he had to move to build a name for himself in Canada, after a childhood spent in the WW2 years, and grateful for the sacrifices his parents made to ensure his education and journey through the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. We will miss your kind soul, consoled knowing that you are swimming in eternal life and love just as you once dreamt of.

Visitation & Funeral Service is 11 am with Private Burial to follow at York Cemetery, and due to COVID-19 protocol the Service will be private but viewable on Funeraweb (9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Wednesday). In memory of Joseph, donations may be made to The North York General Hospital Foundation. In future days, the family hopes to celebrate Dad’s fine long life with family and friends.