Doris Catherine (nee: Gallant) Barry was called home by her Lord Savior on January 31, 2021 at the age of 90 years.
She is survived by her sibling, Sister Yvonne Lines; children: Dale (Paulette) Barry of Edmonton, Ronald (Denise) Barry of Trail, BC, Gerald Barry of Edmonton, Dianne Kelly of Red Deer, Marina Bliss (Villy Madsen) of Beaumont, Laurie Barry (Darren Rode) of Wembley, James (Maria) Barry of Boerne, Tx, and John Barry of Dundurn, SK; eighteen grandchildren: Angela, Scott, Robert, Rhonda, Stephen, Maureen, Miranda, Teresa, Christine, Tori, Allana, Carrie, Andrew, Amberlee, Liliann, Alexander, Sebastian and Westin; as well as fourteen great grandchildren.
She was predeceased by her son, Laurie; husbands, Gerald Barry and George Baumle; parents, William and Louise; brothers: Lloyd, Clare, Irving, Clifford and Tellex; sisters: Isabelle, Alice, Laura and Marina.
Doris was born February 28, 1930 in Edmonton, Alberta to William Joseph Gallant of New Brunswick and Louise Julia Fleury of Oklahoma, USA. Growing up in Kelsey, Alberta as the 7th of 11 children, she quickly learned the value of hard work and dedication.
After graduating high school in 1948 she traveled to London, Ontario to become a nun at the Sisters of St Joseph’s convent. Entering religious life had been a desire of hers since she was a child but after two months, she returned home due to an illness. She entered the Registered Nursing program at the General Hospital in Edmonton. In 1952 she married Gerald Stephen Barry on February 23rd and graduated 2nd in her nursing class in June of that same year. They lived in Edmonton until 1958 when they moved to Eaglesham, Alberta where they homesteaded north of town and began their family while farming and raising cattle. Doris worked as the Public Health nurse for the Peace River region and had the honor of delivering a baby girl at the Donaldson family homestead. Life in the north country was hard and unforgiving as the family forged an existence out of the forest, lived in a wooden grainery and withstood the northern climate. She became a crack shot with her .22 rifle and provided many prairie chicken and duck suppers. They spent the summers farming and the winters in Edmonton working. The drowning of her oldest son at 3 ½ years old was one of the final hardships that was suffered there. They moved to homestead another farm east of Athabasca in 1962 and had the final 3 of 9 children there. In 1971 they moved to St Albert where she nursed, and Gerald worked in autobody repair. Doris and Gerald divorced in August 1973. She now found herself a single mother with a family to raise. She worked on the night shift which allowed her more opportunity to care for her family. Doris relied on her excellent nursing skills throughout her career and retired in 1986.
In 1978, she married George Baumle of Kelsey, Alberta and lived 1 mile across the field from the Gallant family farm where she grew up. Farm life again provided her solace and let her apply her knowledge of raising livestock and grain crops. They sold the farm and retired to Creston, B.C. briefly before George died in 1991. She again followed her earlier yearning for religious life.
In 1993 she spent a year on campus with the Carmelite Nuns in Devon, AB. Always a devout Catholic, her faith and spirituality grew deeper in the time she was there. She left Devon to live out the remainder of her life in Red Deer, AB, to be closer to her children and grandchildren. During that time, she passionately sewed exquisite quilts which she donated to the needy, and canned preserves. In 2013 she relocated to a nursing home where she was loved and cared for by staff and had the company of other residents. When her life was difficult, Doris always put her trust and heart into the Lord’s hands, and he carried her through all of those years.
It is those hands that we now entrust to her soul.
A Private Prayer Service will be held at 7:00 p.m., Monday, February 8, 2021 at Connelly-McKinley, St. Albert Funeral Funeral Home. To view a livestream of the Prayer Service, please visit www.connelly-mckinley.com.
Due to Covid-19 restrictions, a Private Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m., Tuesday, February 9, 2021 at St. Albert Catholic Church. To view a recording of the Funeral Mass, please visit www.connelly-mckinley.com. The recording will be available for viewing within a few days.
Interment to follow at Holy Cross Cemetery, Edmonton, Alberta.
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Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Doris Catherine Barry 2021..
Death notice for the town of: Edmonton, Province: Alberta