With great sadness, we announce the loss of our dear father, grandfather and great-grandfather Lt. Col. (ret’d) Joseph Rene Barrette on December 25, 2021 at Lakeside Long Term Care Home in Toronto. Rene was born in Cornwall, Ontario on 30 Jan 1929, passing away in his 92nd year. He is predeceased by his parents, Paul and Teresa Barrette of Cornwall Ontario, his wife Gladys (nee Hamilton) of Hampton, Nova Scotia, and his brother Maurice Barrette (Eva) of Cornwall, Ontario. He leaves behind his children, Richard (Gwen), Renee Marie (Gary) and Jacqueline. He will be missed by his brother, Roger Barrette (Ann-Aline), his grandchildren, Richelle Barrette (Ben), Paul Barrette (Kate), Marielle Bryck (James), Nicole Visca (Robert) and Carolyn, and great grandchildren, Marcus, Joey, Eli, and Valerie. He will be fondly remembered by special friends met during his 31 years of military service, as well as through his volunteer work at Shepherds of Good Hope in Ottawa, Ontario, including Patricia Dalphy and Lloyd Graham.
Rene had a diverse military career which included a position as Commander of a military base in northern Quebec and as a senior officer implementing bilingualism within the service. He was particularly proud of his work on the development of anti-submarine warfare technologies, for which he has been recognized at the military museum in Greenwood, Nova Scotia. Rene’s military experience subsequently led to a 15 year career in the private sector with Spartan Corporation and Spar Aerospace.
Rene was a talented painter and sculptor who spent many summers at Peggy’s Cove, Nova Scotia, assisting William deGarthe in carving a stone monument called, The Fishermen’s Monument. Following deGarthe’s death, he authored numerous pamphlets and brochures about deGarthe and the Monument.
Rene will be remembered by all who met him as a kind and considerate man. He was grateful for what life brought him and in return devoted 30 years to washing dishes and serving food to those in need at the Shepherds of Good Hope in Ottawa.
Our family is grateful for the care and friendship provided to Rene in the last two years by Louise Marsden. The peace of mind she gave the family knowing that such a compassionate person was visiting when family could not was invaluable. We are also grateful to the staff at the Lakeside Long Term Care Home in Toronto for their care of Rene over the last few months.
A Memorial Service for Rene will be held at the St. Laurent Chapel of Hulse, Playfair & McGarry, Ottawa in the Spring of 2022, subject to any government restrictions, with the hope that all who want to attend are able to do so. He will be interred at the cemetery in Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia next to his wife, Gladys.
In lieu of flowers, a donation can be made to The Shepherds of Good Hope in Ottawa, Ontario.
Saturday December 25th 2021
Nos plus sincères sympathies à la famille et aux amis de Lt Col ret’d Joseph Rene Barrette Saturday December 25th 2021..
Décès pour la Ville:Ottawa, Province: Ontario
My name is Raymond Tremblay. René and I have been good friends since 2000 when we met at the Shepherds of Good Hope. We even wrote a novel together titled « Remember Who I Am » and a playscript titled « The Call To Peggy’s Cove ». He was indeed a great man and a generous soul. I offer my sincerest condolences to his family and would love to attend his memorial service to be held in the spring in Ottawa. If a member of his family would be so kind as to contact me, my home phone number is . Blessings.