Barney, Gladys E. (Berlet):
1922 – 2022
“Precious Lord, take my hand, lead me on let me stand,
I am tired, I am weak, I am worn.
Through the storm, through the night, lead me on to the light,
Take my hand, precious Lord, lead me home.”
Of Kitchener, passed away peacefully at Sunnyside Home on Thursday, January 13, 2022, in her 100th year.
Predeceased by her husband Edward A Barney, December 6, 1977, her parents Henry and Susan Berlet, and her siblings Madeline Foster-McQueen, Bernice Rueffer, Muriel Koch and Gerald Berlet.
Loving and cherished mother of David Barney (Karen), Judy Barker (Larry Lynch) and Patricia Czarny (Patrick). Treasured grandmother to Ted Barney (Liza), Mark Barney (Kayla), Amy Bell (Simon), Dyan Barker, Julie (Barker)Campbell, Cassie Kelders (Jeff), Jenn Fedy (Daniel). Great-Grandmother, GG to 11.
She is also survived by siblings Bonnie Henry (Tom), Harry Berlet (Betty), and Jean Tuffin (George, Dec’d). She leaves behind her treasured and lifelong friends Jean Jamieson and Peggy Arndt.
Gladys was born in Kitchener, on September 21,1922, and grew up with her parents and seven siblings on Strange Street. Growing up she lived through the Stock Market crash of 1929, the Great Depression, the Second World War, Korean War and Viet Nam War and watched the world change so many times. She saw technology change everyone’s lives over and over, and she lived through man walking on the moon and the calendar turning the page on a new century.
She met and ultimately married the love of her life, Ted, in September 1947, and together they built a family and home on Ethel Street. When Ted passed away suddenly of a heart attack in 1977, Gladys picked up the pieces of her life and soldiered on, alone. She was a skilled numbers person and did financial books for many different companies in Kitchener. In 1979, she moved to Milton for a few years with her financial position at Mueller, formerly Canada Valve, and at age 57 she took up the sport of curling, a love that she would continue to enjoy on television for the rest of her life.
Gladys had many loves in life, family, friends, reading, bridge and travel, but a few. She loved to socialize over a bridge table and spent many hours with friends enjoying the game and keeping her wits sharp. She was a City of Waterloo volunteer for many years and also volunteered for her church. She loved to enjoy the family beach vacations and especially looked forward to the Lake Huron sunsets, while cottaging at Port Albert. She retired to the Black Willow condominium in Waterloo, and being fiercely independent she lived on her own there until the age of 95. When she moved into the Sunnyside Home, she knew it was time, but not without protest just the same!
She was blessed to be able to enjoy her love of travel. She had a wonderful time touring the ancient and historic spots of England with her two daughters, and made numerous trips to her adopted country of Ireland to visit friends there. She travelled to Egypt and saw the pyramids, visited Israel and the Holy Land, sailed the Mediterranean Sea and stopped at the many historic countries along its coast. She spent many winter vacations with her “girlfriends” in Florida, playing bridge and enjoying “happy hour”. At age 86 she was still packing her bag, taking a shuttle service and jumping on a plane, alone, to head to the sunshine in Florida.
Gladys was a devout Christian, found great peace in reading her Bible, and was a long-time member of the congregation at Grace Lutheran Church. She loved to get out for a meal at Swiss Chalet or for Chinese food and even in her 100th year she looked forward to her daily glass of wine with dinner, or lunch too if she could talk them into it. She leaves behind so many happy memories and moments shared, and those who spent the most time with her will always warm when they think of her sly, twinkling smile and hear her say “is there any more wine?”
The Barney family would like to thank the many personal care workers who visited her daily at the Black Willow, and the nursing and support staff at Sunnyside Home, who treated Gladys with love, respect and such tremendous care through the last years of her journey.
A private family service and burial will be held at a later date. As expressions of sympathy, memorial donations may be made in Gladys’ memory to the Heart and Stroke Foundation and may be arranged through the Henry Walser Funeral Home, 507 Frederick Street, Kitchener, 519-749-8467.
Visit www.henrywalser.com for Gladys’ memorial.
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Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Gladys Barney Thursday January 13th 2022..
Death notice for the town of: Kitchener, Province: Ontario