Barry Keith Schinkel

It is with deep regret and sadness that we announce the sudden passing of our father, son, brother, grandfather on September 12, 2011.

Barry is survived by sons Keith (Armelle) and Scott, grandchildren Jérémie and Annika, mother Frances Rasmussen, brother Randy (Ginette), nieces Nikki (Jeff) and Leanne (Graham). Barry was predeceased by his father Samuel, brother Rick and stepfather Gordon Rasmussen.

Barry cherished his time with family and friends. Whether at the curling rink or in the work place Barry made friends easily and he considered them his extended family. Grandpa B was proud of his grandchildren and enjoyed the time he spent with them. His patience, sense of humour, and sly smile will be missed by all.

A memorial service will be held on Friday, September 23 at 2:00 p.m. at Thomson “In the Park” 1291 McGillivray Boulevard with reception to follow. A private family interment will be held.

In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Heart & Stroke Foundation #200-6 Donald Street Winnipeg, Manitoba R3L 0K6.

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Eulogy – Barry Schinkel

Hello, I’m Ryan Ronald, friend of the family. On behalf of the family, I’d like to read this eulogy.

“So dad, do you know anything about…”, was often the way a conversation between Barry and his boys got started. Without fail and despite his trademark deep sigh, Barry would pack his tools and head off to whomever was in need. Barry was a helper, whether it was his mother, sons, friends or people he barely knew he was always there to get things done and didn’t stick around to hear the thank you’s.

Barry was a very dedicated and hard worker wherever he worked, whether it was the survey crews he started working with after high school, at the U of M, farming, ice making at curling rinks, or as of late, at enterprise. Maybe it was a combination of having parents with good work ethics and the desire to take great pride in whatever he did that made him give his all and look after things as if it were his own business he was tending to.

This hard work didn’t stop at the end of his work days. Barry was known to take vacations to help Keith paint his deck or Scott move. He was fond of telling the story of his holiday spent out at his brother Randy’s cabin. Barry and his step father Gordon had gone to the cabin for some rest and relaxation and Randy had jokingly mentioned that if they were bored, there was a whole cabin to install siding on. Barry and Gordon wasted no time in getting right to work, toiling away at that for two weeks. Of course, there were a few pops being consumed, some damn good steak barbecues and lots of chuckles along the way.

But Barry’s life wasn’t all about work. Randy tells the story of a fly in fishing trip he took with Barry like this:

“There were 8 people on the trip. Some were considered pro fisherman in their own minds. Many stories came from this trip but the story of “Bologna Barry” will live on for years to come. The so-called experts were having a hard time catching any fish, even with all their high tech electronics and expensive tackle. Some having tackle boxes large enough to crawl into in case it rained. Barry decided to try something different that would defy all traditional fishing wisdom. On the last day of the trip, Barry and Dave went out with only basic hooks and a large chunk of bologna. Now ask anyone who’s ever gone fishing and you always go to the farthest end of the lake or the farthest from the lodge to catch the big ones. Barry and Dave went about 3 or 4 hundred yards from the dock and trolled back and forth in the bay using the bologna for bait. They caught all kinds of fish in the lake, and some very large ones at that. It was a quiet ride home from there, as the pro fisherman were not only out fished but also shown a thing or two about good old ingenuity. Of course, Barry just sat there with that sly smile on his face.”

Barry also enjoyed his weekend adventures with his mother Frances where they travelled the back roads, taking in the countryside. He always arrived with a simple, “Franny, are you ready to go?” and off they went. On these trips, Barry was always ready to give Frances a hard time. Whether he was telling her to, “Jump in, jump in” to get into the truck or reminding her, lightheartedly, that it was her turn to pay for lunch, they always had a good time. They were more than mother and son, in the words of Frances they were “really good pals”. Barry was a very dedicated son who spent every night talking to his mother and if ever he were going to miss their appointed time he made sure to call her in advance to say he couldn’t make their date for the evening.

He was always concerned for Frances’s safety. Every night he told her to make sure she locked her door so that “those old men” in her building couldn’t get in. While always trying to keep his mother safe, Barry also wanted to make sure she didn’t get bored. So, one time, he lent her his binoculars so she could follow the workout regiment of the naked man across the courtyard. This is one of the many examples of Barry’s sense of humor. Often, after a few beers, Barry would tell his sons stories about his adventures from his younger years. Whether it be putting shot puts in a teacher’s briefcase or recruiting friends to move a teacher’s car between two trees with inches to spare, Barry was always up for a bit of fun.

Barry worked on his relationship with his boys, reveling in the fact that after 30 years of trying, he finally managed to get Scott to join the boys in a game of golf. Barry displayed his patience, another of his trademarks, throughout the whole day despite being tested, as usual, by Keith when Keith pulled a six pack out of his bag and challenged his Dad to kick off the round by chugging a beer before teeing off. Despite Scott’s early frustration, Barry was there with not only words of encouragement but also coaching tips for the next shot. After teeing off and hitting a tree some 20 yards down the fairway and off to the left, Barry jokingly admonished Scott for not heeding his advice to turn a bit to the right before the shot. Barry then displayed his selflessness when he promptly stepped up and proceeded to hit the exact same tree with his tee shot in order to ensure that Scott didn’t feel so bad, or so Barry said afterwards. At the end of the round, he only gave a wry shake of his head when Scott shot gunned a beer before the last hole and proceeded to have his best shot of the day. One of the most memorable aspects of the day for the boys was that even though their dad didn’t say much, he had a huge smile on his face the whole day.

Barry often talked to others about how proud he was of his sons and how his grandchildren were his pride and joy. Grandpa B was a patient and loving grandparent who always enjoyed having Jeremie and Annika around no matter what he was doing. Anytime Barry went to Keith’s for a home repair project, he was always sure to include Jeremie in the work force. And even though he suffered a few bumps and bruises, whether he had been smashed with a hammer or stabbed by a screwdriver, Barry always made sure he enlisted his little apprentice. Grandpa B went so far as to buy Jeremie a small working cordless drill for his second birthday. As far as Annika goes, one of the biggest smiles Scott can ever recall seeing on his father’s face was the first time Barry held his granddaughter in the hospital. Grandpa B looked forward to the day when Annika would chase him around the house saying, “B, B, B”.

And then there was Armelle, on every visit Barry never failed to tell Armelle how she was his favorite daughter-in-law and always had a big hug and little smirk for her. Why the patented Schinkel smirk? Well, though the sentiment was true, Barry adored her, Armelle was Barry’s only daughter-in-law.

Barry will be greatly missed by family, friends, co-workers and everyone he came into contact with and left a lasting impression.

We know he will be watching over us all with that “sly smile”.