Obituary for C. Barry Withers
Charles Barry Withers, known as Barry or Bar to those closest to him, passed away on October 26, 2021
at Ross Memorial Hospital, Lindsay, at age 85. Bar was a unique, memorable free spirit with a deep love
of nature, wide-ranging eclectic interests, and a fiercely independent, self-reliant nature.
Born on Staten Island, New York, he served as a young man in the U.S. army during the period following
the Korean War, and afterward pursued training in electronics. He later moved to San Francisco and then
Marin County, California for a decade, where he trained and worked as a carpenter. During this time, a
thirst for adventure led him to take an extended bicycle trip through Mexico and a lap of North America
by motorcycle that brought him all the way to Newfoundland.
As a child, family visits to an uncle’s cottage on Maple Lake sparked a lifelong dream of settling in this
beautiful part of the world and in his 30’s, Barry took practical steps towards this goal. Drawing on his
carpentry skills and resourcefulness, he renovated and sold several houses in Marin County. With the
proceeds he emigrated to Canada in 1974, and purchased land on the pretty Kennisis River. There, he
built two homes almost entirely by himself — customizing and selling one and keeping the other as his
summer cottage after moving to Toronto where he continued to work as a carpenter.
Refreshing his training as an electronics technician, he made a career shift and found employment at
what was then CNCP Telecommunications. When the opportunity arose to take early retirement at age
55, Barry was finally able to realize his dream of moving permanently to his snug, well-built home on the
river.
He enjoyed a long, active retirement, living life on his own terms, reading widely, splitting firewood for
his wood stove, exploring local lakes and rivers by canoe, learning the names and characteristics of every
plant and wildflower, and helping maintain and preserve the natural beauty he loved so much in every
way he could, including as an active member of the Haliburton Highlands Field Naturalists.
Barry was loved by his friends and especially by his family: brother Ted (Edward) Withers, sister-in-law,
Cathy Boyd-Withers, nephew Colin Withers (with partner Anaïs), great-niece baby Juliette, and niece
Alison Withers (with partner Jamie). He will be greatly missed but we are comforted by knowing that his
spirit lives on in our hearts and in the rivers, lakes and trees of this beautiful part of the world.
at Ross Memorial Hospital, Lindsay, at age 85. Bar was a unique, memorable free spirit with a deep love
of nature, wide-ranging eclectic interests, and a fiercely independent, self-reliant nature.
Born on Staten Island, New York, he served as a young man in the U.S. army during the period following
the Korean War, and afterward pursued training in electronics. He later moved to San Francisco and then
Marin County, California for a decade, where he trained and worked as a carpenter. During this time, a
thirst for adventure led him to take an extended bicycle trip through Mexico and a lap of North America
by motorcycle that brought him all the way to Newfoundland.
As a child, family visits to an uncle’s cottage on Maple Lake sparked a lifelong dream of settling in this
beautiful part of the world and in his 30’s, Barry took practical steps towards this goal. Drawing on his
carpentry skills and resourcefulness, he renovated and sold several houses in Marin County. With the
proceeds he emigrated to Canada in 1974, and purchased land on the pretty Kennisis River. There, he
built two homes almost entirely by himself — customizing and selling one and keeping the other as his
summer cottage after moving to Toronto where he continued to work as a carpenter.
Refreshing his training as an electronics technician, he made a career shift and found employment at
what was then CNCP Telecommunications. When the opportunity arose to take early retirement at age
55, Barry was finally able to realize his dream of moving permanently to his snug, well-built home on the
river.
He enjoyed a long, active retirement, living life on his own terms, reading widely, splitting firewood for
his wood stove, exploring local lakes and rivers by canoe, learning the names and characteristics of every
plant and wildflower, and helping maintain and preserve the natural beauty he loved so much in every
way he could, including as an active member of the Haliburton Highlands Field Naturalists.
Barry was loved by his friends and especially by his family: brother Ted (Edward) Withers, sister-in-law,
Cathy Boyd-Withers, nephew Colin Withers (with partner Anaïs), great-niece baby Juliette, and niece
Alison Withers (with partner Jamie). He will be greatly missed but we are comforted by knowing that his
spirit lives on in our hearts and in the rivers, lakes and trees of this beautiful part of the world.