Jack F. Barr

BARR, Jack Francis – Jack was born in Renfrew, Ontario on July 19,1937.  He passed very unexpectedly, but very peacefully, in his home, on January 10th, 2025, with dear friends visiting and a scotch in hand.  His parents, Murray and Georgette, had a long and wonderful marriage and raised Jack and his older brother Don, literally on the banks of the Bonnechere River.  Born into the depression era, and with two parents who suffered through serious tuberculosis, the upbringing was challenging but Jack rose to the occasion.  There were few things he could not fix, and his passion for the outdoors began with the hunting, fishing, and trapline work on the river. And his world class swimming began here with years as a lifeguard…literally saving lives by running off their front porch on occasions.  It was here that Jack first met his eventual wife of 60 yrs, Joan Rowsell, and they were later married in England as he, and his pilot and lifelong friend Bob “Nick” Nicholson were test crew for the CF100 in Europe with the RCAF. 

After 9 yrs in the Forces Jack chose to study Biology in Guelph over art in Berlin and he completed his PhD in Ornithology in 1972.  His work on loons was world renowned, and between raising loon chicks in our basement, studying mercury poisoning in the Wabigoon River system, and helping to establish the North American Loon Fund he left his mark in wildlife research. The Barr family, Jack, Joan, Sean and Joel, has been on Forest Street in Guelph since 1965.  What was once a wartime bungalow on the city outskirts became 60 years of memories in the city and a unique house that reflected his absolutely unending curiosity, artistic nature, and desire to live the fullest of lives.  Seemingly nothing, certainly not age or injuries, could stop him from a creative project, whether in his garden, in his carvings or with his famous desserts at Sunday dinners. 

Joan sadly passed three years ago, but Jack continued to move forward. Another wonderful Christmas was just spent with Joel, Diane, and his grandchildren Kiersten and Brendan; the presents so well chosen, and wrapped so beautifully, and complete with calligraphy cards.  While a quiet and soft-spoken person, his assortment of lifelong friends from around the world was inspiring…he would say that true friends are those with whom conversations pick up and flow seamlessly over distance and years.  In more recent times his devotion to the neighbourhood’s dogs, and their owners…thou he seldom remembered the people’s names, was legendary and was his way of being with his community.   Jack was honourable and loyal to a fault, a sometimes intimidating representation, and mentor, of persistence, excellence and decency, but he quietly and continuously showed his love and friendship to his family and friends through his thoughtful actions. He will be dearly missed but his legacy lives.

There will be a small gathering of family and his close friends in the spring.  Arrangements entrusted to the WALL-CUSTANCE FUNERAL HOME & CHAPEL 519-822-0051 / www.wallcustance.com.

Memorial donations can be made to The Nature Conservancy of Canada. 

 A tree will be planted in memory of Jack F. Barr in the Wall-Custance Memorial Forest.