The remaining Barrys. This picture was taken at Sean's funeral. Sean's absence is definitely felt.
The last time I saw Sean, was about a year ago, the end of March '06. My husband, Brian and I showed up unannounced at his place and he graciously entertained us. If he had other plans, he never mentioned them.
My brother, Brian has a pub in Camrose, AB. Sean apparently would stop in daily and drink coffee, wanting to stay in touch. Brian had a new year's eve party a couple of month previous, so I asked Sean if he'd gone. He said no, he'd quit drinking and realized that a new years eve party would probably not be conducive to achieving his goals. He'd also recently quit smoking. I remember thinking that was a lot to give up all at once, but of course didn't want to say anything to discourage him.
Sean also had a dream to buy himself all new camping gear and go on a camping trip. This he did at the end of the summer. After achieving his goals, his heart gave out at the campsite. He also had emphysema. I'm not sure if he had won the battle against smoking, but he was victorious over his struggle with alcohol. He is a winner in my books. A truly gentle soul who has left a gaping hole in our family.
Comments
I was so shocked to hear about Sean's passing. I found myself wishing I got to know him better. I'm so sorry for your loss.
I've always assummed that I'd have time to catch-up with all of you reading this blog. I can't believe how quickly the years have flown by. I'm glad to see that people are connecting again because we never know if we'll get that chance in the future.
Colleen