Barbara Cathy Braithwaite

September 10, 1952 – April 24, 2023

Close to our hearts she will always stay, loved and remembered every day.

We are deeply saddened to announce that Barbara Cathy Braithwaite passed away on April 24, 2023, with her sister by her side, after a very short, brave battle with cancer. She leaves her loving sister, Bonnie Braithwaite-Lee, cherished nephew and godson, Scott Wallace Braithwaite Lee, and beloved companion, Charlie Brown. She was predeceased by her parents, John Wallace and Katherine Braithwaite, and her brother-in-law, Christopher Lee.

Barb was born in Vancouver on September 10, 1952. In the spring of 1957, our family moved to Victoria where Barb attended Jiminy Cricket Kindergarten. She then went to Richmond Elementary School until Uplands Elementary opened in 1959 and she was in one of the first classes. After graduating from Uplands, she attended Lansdowne High School.

Barb would fondly talk about growing up in Victoria. Her memories included how our parents bought the empty lot beside us and it became the neighbourhood playground. In the summer, Dad would cut the grass into the shape of houses, complete with streets in between. As we got older, it became a ballpark with many noisy softball games!

In 1968, our family moved to Vancouver where Barb graduated from Magee High School. Following graduation, she went to Langara College before starting work. Her career was spent in banking and then retail, including Woodward's Department Store and the Liquor Control Board of British Columbia.

Barb was a beautiful baby and, at a very young age, she was a model for the Hudson's Bay Company. She walked the runway and appeared in advertisements for the Bay in the Victoria newspaper. As children, our mom enrolled us in many activities including highland dancing, swimming, piano and skating. Needless to say, those did not become career paths for either of us!

In those years, summer started with a driving trip to Manitoba, often visiting family and friends along the way. We would stay at our grandparent’s farm in Dugald and, later, at their home in Transcona. There were always family celebrations and lots of visits with aunts, uncles and cousins, as well as trips to Dauphin and Kenora to visit more family. Barb had very happy memories of visiting the farm, recalling that there was no running water so we had to get it from the rain barrels or pump it. There was a large trough on the side of the wood burning stove and that's where we got the hot water for cooking and for bathing in the big tub in the kitchen. As she would say, there was always something to do - chase the chickens, look after the kittens, try to help in the barn and even help in the garden and kitchen. It was during those summers that Barb developed her love of farm fresh produce thanks to Baba and our aunts and their well-tended vegetable gardens.

After we moved back to Vancouver in 1968, our parents bought a trailer and we learned to camp in style, complete with crystal wine glasses and meals cooked over an open fire!

Barb was a true British Columbia girl. When our family moved to Ontario in 1973, she stayed for only a few years before moving back to her beautiful BC with its ocean and mountains.

From an early age, Barb loved and cared deeply for animals, especially cats. She was delighted to welcome her much loved Stanley and then Charlie Brown into her home. She also loved to travel, both quick trips to the States or longer ones to Samoa, Hawaii, the Bahamas, Sweden, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Florida, Arizona, California and Las Vegas.

Barb was a proud member of P.E.O., an international organization dedicated to supporting the education of women, and served in various Officer positions in her Chapter. She was also very creative and enjoyed her embroidery lessons from Baba, as well sewing, knitting and crochet. In the 1980s, Barb discovered artistic rubber stamps and card-making. She quickly introduced us to this new world and we embraced it with a passion. Countless hours were spent checking out new stores, taking classes, sharing techniques and new ideas with family and friends and making cards for all occasions. Many of us were the happy recipients of her hand-made sweaters, blankets, Christmas decorations and cards over the years.

Barb enjoyed her garden and looked forward to the spring when she would wander the nurseries looking for new and different flowers and herbs to plant. She loved having an arrangement of fresh flowers in her home from early spring to late fall. She was an adventurous and excellent cook and loved preparing wonderful meals made with local ingredients and herbs from her garden. She especially liked trying out new recipes for family and friends. Her dinner parties were accompanied with BC wines and laughter.

Barb was always ready for a good chat and a good laugh. She particularly enjoyed a lively discussion about politics.

Barb was very kind and caring and could be counted on to lend a hand, whether volunteering at the church, helping family and friends with kids and pets, taking friends for errands and to appointments, and, as life progressed, helping family and friends deal with both minor and significant health issues.

Barb enjoyed life and found joy in walking the beaches and boardwalks at home and on her travels, having coffee at Waves with friends and exploring the Lower Mainland, checking out the farms and markets. The memories of Barb in her favourite places will live forever in our hearts.

Special thanks to the nurses and doctors on the Palliative Care Unit, Richmond Hospital.

A Celebration of Life and Inurnment Service was held on Saturday, September 9th, 2023 at Ocean View Funeral Home, Burnaby BC, followed by a reception in the lounge.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Make-a-Wish Foundation of Canada or the Richmond Hospital Foundation.