bout de papier, Vol. 14, No. 1 (1997) — Spring 1997 // Printemps 1997, p. 9
On a sparkling bright October afternoon, friends and colleagues gathered in Ottawa to celebrate the eclectic and peripatetic life of Paul Barton, who quietly passed away on a glorious fall afternoon after a lengthy battle with cancer.
Paul originally joined the Foreign Service as an Immigration Officer, having been a teacher for many years in Ontario, and in Zambia, with his wife, Marian. They have 3 children, Kimby, Eric and Timothy.
I believe that the following selection of the many tributes paid to Paul speak more eloquently than I could about our friend and colleague. As someone said, “You only had to be with Paul for five minutes to recognize what a special person he was.”
Don Campbell knew Paul longer than most of us and roomed with him in their third year at Waterloo University. Don reminisced how he and Paul, as students “were both intensely interested in the national and international issues of the day and debated, argued, and undoubtedly found solid solutions for most if not all of them and was always impressed and occasionally frustrated by Paul’s down to earth, rational approach to these great issues and admired immensely his earthy wit and common sense”., and of how delighted he was “that Paul decided … to join the ranks of the Canadian Foreign Service where he put his ideas, his energy and his talents to the cause of Canada.”
“Paul was a trusted, highly professional colleague, whose judgements … were impeccable, whose reliability and conscientiousness in the face of an impossible workload were exemplary. He was a model to many of us of the best that the Foreign Service can attract, and produce. He served his country well …” but “Most of all Paul enriched my life, and those of all with whom he came into contact, by his character. His honesty, integrity, humility, perseverance, humour, and pride in what he did radiated from him like a beacon and made the rest of us shine just a little brighter…. All who knew him, personally or professionally, are better people, just because Paul was there. When Paul wasn’t there we knew he was off fighting his battle again. But we always knew he would be back. Now he won’t and the place will never be quite the same.”
“Paul to me was a wonderful human being whom I was always happy to see. In the years I knew him, I never walked away from a meeting with him without feeling better, more positive, and more enthusiastic. He reaffirmed the best in all of us and his presence and influence was to help us to do the same. I will miss him and am grateful to have known him.”
Patricia Malikail
“Paul’s devotion to his family, his courage, his deep eclectic interests, his infectious grin and positively wicked sense of humour, his loyalty to friends and his passionate beliefs in the values which so many Canadians share…. Indeed he touched us all and for that we are immensely thankful.”
Herb Fraser
“I will never run another ’Hash’ without thinking of Paul. It was through Paul that I became involved with a great group of fun loving runners called the ’Hash House Harriers’. Rain or shine, winter or summer, Paul braved the elements.”
Mike Yetman
“I shall miss Paul’s quick wit and infectious laugh”.
Patricia Lawrie
“I wanted to say how much Paul’s courage and unfailing positive spirit helped me as a cancer survivor to meet the challenges constantly faced in both fighting a way against this disease and in maintaining a quality of life that makes the struggle worthwhile. Paul inspired me and my family…. I hope [Paul’s family] take strength from the enormous contribution Paul made to many. It was an honour and a privilege to have known him.”
Tom Boehm
Sometime in his last few weeks, Paul told me that ’way-back-when’ when he first discovered he had cancer, he decided to try to strike a deal with God to let him live long enough to see that his children had a toehold on life. I don’t know what Paul’s end of the bargain was. Whatever it was, I would say we got the better end of the deal. We had the privilege of knowing and sharing Paul Barton for another fifteen years and we are all better people for having had that experience. Paul was courageous; he did not live his life like every day was his last — he lived as though he had many more to go and that he intended to enjoy every one of them.
Valerie Nabb summed it up when she wrote, “Paul would not want us to cry too much, rather he would want us to think about the good and happy things in our lives and to focus on them. Each day, remember your loved ones, and think of Paul to remind you of all the special, positive things that make life joyful and happy.”
Thanks for everything, Paul. Rest in peace.
Ron Keeler
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Originally published in bout de papier, Vol. 14, No. 1 (1997) — Spring 1997 // Printemps 1997, p. 9. Read the rest of this issue →
