With great sadness we announce the passing of Harry Barnes, known as “Barnesy” to many. A stoic Newfoundlander, he leaves a very large and inclusive group of family and friends to mourn his loss: his loving wife of 55 years, Joan; daughter Laurie (John); Katie (Jason); Sheila (Howard); Madeline; Vera (Austin); Donna (John); and all those special people who just belonged in his life.
Harry was extremely proud of his 18 years in the Canadian Armed Forces – he loved the challenges and most of all the relationships that extended into retirement following his service with the Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada, the Canadian Airborne Regiment, and the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI). He was deployed on two peacekeeping tours in Cyprus and one in Egypt. Reunions, luncheons and dinners, he would be found sharing stories and memories of his many exploits, including “jumping out of those perfectly safe aircraft”, climbing Monte Bianco in Italy, and exercises from Alaska to Jamaica. Remembrance Day would see him laying the Airborne wreath at the Langford service.
Following his military retirement in 1984, Harry served for 18 years as a Correctional Officer with VIRCC retiring in 2002.
A Boston Bruins fan from an early age, Harry’s love of hockey knew no boundaries. He was a passionate organizer who cared and loved promoting the game for all ages. And you know he really liked his Bruins’ teams to win.
A Celebration of Harry’s Life will be held at the Chief and Petty Officers Mess, 1575 Lyall Street, Victoria, BC on Sunday, October 25th, 2026, at 1:00pm.
Condolences may be offered to the family below.
McCall Gardens
www.mccallgardens.com
This obituary is the property of the “Barnes” family and may not be reproduced, distributed, or altered in any way without prior written consent.
31 Responses
very sorry to hear of our cousin Harry’s passing. Mom always spoke highly of Harry …she was very proud of the man he became. RIP sir you’ve earned your keep.
Joan and family on behalf of Kay and myself we send our deepest condolences and mourn your loss. Harry. Was a good buddy and friend for the last 35 years. We will always remember the last time we seen each other when sat together at the Queen own rifles birthday back in April May he rest in peace.
On behalf of the Snowdon’s I send deep love to you all.
Harry will be so missed in our Yellow Point Crowd.
We will remember his care and humour.
Love Liam
Deepest condolences to Joan and Laurie. Harry was a special man who held a special place in our family’s heart. You never had a bad day when Harry was around. He had a way of making deep and lasting friendships. We have lots of fond memories, parties, funny stories, and good times with Harry and Joan in BC and Newfoundland. He lived a great life with his family and he will be fondly remembered, and dearly missed.
Harry always spike the unfiltered truth. I have a lot of respect for Harry and his presence.
Joan, Harry was my good friend for 59 years and we never lost touch. I miss him now and will never forget all the good times we had together. He was my brother in arms and we always knew we would be there for each other.
Joan and Family. Our deepest condolences on the passing of our Airborne Brother, Harry who will be remember by all who knew him.
A GREAT SOUL
A great soul serves everyone, all the time.
A great soul never dies, it brings us together,
Again and Again.
Rest in Peace Harry, you so earned it.
I had the fortune of knowing Harry and calling him brother for over 50 years . The last thing in the world Harry would want us to do is moan about how his life ended. He would want us all to know that he lived a full and active life with love, laughter, great memories and beautiful relationships. Over time people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel, and Harry made us all feel special. I know Harry would want me to acknowledge his loving wife and how she fully supported and aided him during his illness and final journey. She held and comforted him throughout his final days. In celebrating Harry’s life, let us also celebrate Joan’s love for Harry. Although we feel the ache of his absence, we also feel the great gift of knowing and loving him. For Harry I will remember him with smiles, laughter and love. Fair winds my brother and rest until we meet again.
Dear Joan, Laurie, and families,
Our heartfelt condolences on the passing of Harry. Joan, our hearts break for you—he was your soulmate and a loving husband. Laurie, he was such a caring and loving father. To us, and to so many others, he was a dear friend.
May all the wonderful memories you shared bring you comfort during this difficult time. We have our own memories of Harry that we will cherish forever; whenever we think of him, it will bring a smile to our faces and warmth to our hearts.
Love & Hugs,
Cindy, Bob, and Bryce Bodak xoxo
Neighbour of 50+ years. How lucky and privileged we are!
Nothing but love. Bill,Pat&Kim Dyke