Barbara Irene (Greer) White, born in the Soo in the early '40s has, after a long dance with COPD, quickly and painlessly passed away while in the hospital. Barb is survived by her daughter, Adrienne, her brother, Bill (Beth), her niece and nephew, Kelly and Billy, cousins (Norm, Tom, Greg), and a great niece, Sheyhlyn. Her beloved long-term partner, Dave Caufield, predeceased her by 13 years. His son, Bernie Caufield, and her dear friends (even those she lost touch with), all held a very special place in her enormous heart.
Barb was like a second mother to so many people. She would just scoop people up in her gentle, fun, grounded energy and treat them to a moment or years of focused, thoughtful, genuine attention. She cared -- even if she was talking to a stranger.
Algoma Steel, Fleming Adjusters, IBM and Soo Promo were her places of work and she spoke with such affection for the people she worked with. Even up to her last month of life, she talked about some of the crew at IBM and what fine people they were to know.
Before smoking and a heart attack changed her voice, she was a prolific singer. She was also a skilled poet. In an interview following the release of her book of poetry (Ballads by Barb), she described writing poetry as her 'easy way of talking'.
A tomboy at heart with an absolute reverence for nature, Barb loved life and animals. She was smart, fun, quick to laugh and intuitively compassionate. She looked for the good in people and almost always, that's what she found. (Barb’s wisdom here is to look for what you want to see, not for what you don’t.)
The Soo area and the farm in Thessalon were her most cherished and loved places. She loved the shores, the trails through the bush and the incredible fall colours of home. You know when the snow gently coats each branch on the trees after a new snowfall? That felt absolutely magical to her. That said, she did appreciate the “winters” in Vancouver and was amused by the year-round green grass.
In her early life, amidst challenging circumstances, in some ways she was seen as the glue in her family. Once she moved out of the Soo, she was impossibly bad at keeping in touch with people who mattered to her. The whole truth is that she didn't want to catch people at a bad time or be a bother, so she'd wait for people to call her. It's ironic; when her daughter moved across the country as a young child, Barb was instrumental in ensuring Adrienne kept in touch with friends so the bonds of friendship remained strong. What a gift that was. Again, Barb was the glue.
Barb spent the last decade living with her daughter near Vancouver, BC along the Fraser River. She became the building’s welcome wagon, getting to know people moving into the building; wishing people well who were moving out. Barb enjoyed the many delightful neighbours, and also their pets! She just attracted the most amazing beings.
With an infectious smile, a sparkle in her eyes, and a willingness to laugh easily, she was a delight to spend time with. Sweet as she was, she was tough as nails and was the first to laugh at a spicy joke or shock people with an occasional well-placed expletive. Barb was well-rounded, down to earth, funny, and loved to talk with people.
She was also the first to warn people off smoking – she was genuinely surprised that it decimated her health. She liked to make an impact, and as she sat on the bench in front of her building near Vancouver (yes, smoking), she would talk to young men who thought vaping was the answer. She shared what she learned on the news -- that vaping is said to cause testicular cancer. She appreciated watching the look on their face when those words landed. She didn’t know if it made a difference in how they took care of their bodies, but she hoped. And yes, in 2019, Barb quit smoking.
Sometimes strangers who needed genuine connection, acceptance or compassion would find their way to her on the bench to chat. After an hour-long conversation, one such young man got up to leave, turned around and said ‘May I give you a hug?’ She engendered and embodied that kind of sweetness. (Barb’s wisdom here is, authentic, caring connection is essential and invaluable.)
The planet lost a most amazing woman. That said, anytime you notice something astounding, beautiful or magical in nature, chances are, she’ll be there with you, marveling at what life offers us freely each day.
Daughter of the late William (Bill) Greer Sr. and Dorothy Greer (Tortilla) of the Sault, their spirits have been reunited.
From Barb’s daughter: “If you knew my Mom, you added to her life. Thank you for that. Feel free to reach out – this email address will be active until the end of June this year (saultbarb@outlook dot com) or I invite you to leave a comment below.”
Her wish for you would be that you have more moments in your life to appreciate the blessings around you and to remember that your smile and your presence can make an enormous difference.
Dearest Barb, you are so deeply missed.