Barry Arnold Rye
With heavy hearts and great sadness, the family of Barry Arnold Rye (65) announces his peaceful passing at home on July 28, 2026, surrounded by loving wife Lisa and family.
Born in Edmonton, Alberta, Barry, the third child of Doris (Reid) and Kenneth Rye, grew up on the family farm near Namao. He graduated from Sturgeon Composite High School before starting his career as a crane operator at CN Rail where he displayed a dedicated work ethic and made many lifelong friends.
Barry played ball and darts on various teams and enjoyed golfing with family, most especially when outplaying his brother Cal. Barry also took great pride in maintaining his Class 1 driver’s license, self-reporting a ‘PhD in driving’. He loved farming, tractors, snowmobiling, tinkering and building things including an elaborate ‘cat townhouse’ for the garage – a project approved by sister Deb. Barry’s love for cats was rivaled only by his loathing of the local magpie population which he took out on one (or a few) too many games of Angry Birds.
After many happy years at their acreage near Morinville and post-retirement, Barry and Lisa moved to Edmonton where they hiked and cycled the river valley trails. Some of his most treasured moments were spent walking with his beloved wife while sharing conversations and quiet reflection.
In Edmonton, Barry found great joy volunteering for the Little Bits Therapeutic Riding Association; supporting the riders, working in the barn, and meeting new people at the Whitemud Equine Centre. His patience, kindness, and natural ability to connect with others were embraced by the program and its participants.
In recent years, Barry faced one of life’s greatest challenges with courage and humility following his diagnosis with Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA). Although PPA gradually affected his ability to communicate, it never diminished the strength of his character, his love for others, or the impact he had on those around him. He bravely shared his diagnosis so others could learn more about this rare clinical syndrome. Throughout this journey, Barry and his family were blessed to meet many extraordinary people who provided care, support, friendship, and hope.
The family wishes to express profound gratitude to the dedicated teams at Pilgrims Day Program, the Corbett Aphasia Rehabilitation and Education (CARE) program at the University of Alberta, and Just Like Family Home Care. The compassion, encouragement, and genuine care shown by all enriched, uplifted, and inspired Barry’s life immeasurably. The relationships formed through these programs brought comfort, laughter, understanding, and companionship.
Predeceased by his parents, Barry is survived by his loving wife Lisa, her children Jennifer and Daniel (Pam), grandchildren Silas and Everly, brother Calvin (Kris), sister Debbie (Les) and Lisa’s brothers Alan (Kathy), and David as well as many nieces and nephews.
Barry will be remembered for his character, his willingness to help anyone in need, his love of the outdoors, his devotion to his wife and family, as well as the quiet strength and courage with which he faced every stage of life. His legacy lives on in the countless lives he touched, the lessons he taught with his actions, and the love he shared. Those who knew Barry will remember his warm smile, sense of humor, gentle nature, and the enduring example he set for all who were fortunate enough to walk beside him. He will be deeply missed, lovingly remembered, and forever held in our hearts.
At Barry’s request there will be no service. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Little Bits Therapeutic Riding Association or a charity of your choice in Barry’s name.
https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/little-bits-therapeutic-riding-association/
I will miss seeing you at the stables.
Your kindness and patience with the riders was extraordinary, you were a natural.
I always loved seeing you come down to the barn, I will miss your hugs 💕
Condolences to Lisa and family. I worked with ‘Bewwy’ at CN for a number of years. He called me Mitchell, never Michelle, and it was always a crapshoot whether I was in trouble with him or he was just relaying info…usually I was on the poop list. Barry and I had a special, supportive friendship, as he was a very gentle soul and I saw that side of him albeit infrequently throughout our journey. He was always someone I could count on to get things done, to help me through tribulations and encourage my growth at Internodal, even though it had to be his way. He reveled tormenting me by dumping water runoff from the containers on my head during my brief stint as a ground man…always in good fun. He could be in a bad mood during the workday but he always called home before he left at the end of the day to see if anything was needed to be picked up … his soft side always came out during these phone calls and that’s the Bewwy I will remember. Thank you, Lisa, for taking such care of the ol’ guy. He deserved the best. Again, sorry for your families loss and know he is resting well upstairs. Michelle Adam (Kidd)
Dear Lisa and family,
So sorry to hear about Batty’ passing. He will be missed by many. Please know he will forver live in my heart.
Love, Jo
Barry and Lisa were such a lovely addition to the volunteer team at Little Bits. They walked many miles with our special riders, groomed and readied the wonderful horses in our program, and we’re always available with shovel in hand – inside or out on Keillor Road. Seldom were they found in the break room, but when they were they welcomed newcomers to volunteering and guided them through a steep learning curve with patience and grace. Always together I can only imagine the loss that Lisa feels. Barry will not be forgotten and will always be a part of our Little Bits family….you too Lisa.
Dear Lisa and family,
I was very sorry to hear of Barry’s passing. Barry was my lead hand when I first started at CN. He had a gruff demeanor and could be very blunt, which could be intimidating to someone just starting out. As the senior guy on the pad, he took tremendous pride in his work. The pad was his domain, and he set the standard for how the job was done. Barry definitely had his own way of doing things, and most of us learned pretty quickly it was easier to just do it Barry’s way. If you worked with him, you knew exactly what I mean.
At first, I wasn’t always sure where I stood with Barry. But as time went on and we spent more time together, whether it was sharing breaks at work or the occasional time we spent together outside of work, I got to know a completely different side of him.
Behind that tough exterior, I found a genuinely kind man with a great sense of humor. Once you earned Barry’s respect, you quickly realized how loyal and genuine he was. I always enjoyed our conversations, and I’ll never forget the laughs we shared over the years.
Barry led by example. He cared about doing the job right, and I learned a lot from watching him and from the guidance he gave me early in my career. He left a lasting impression on me, and I feel fortunate to have known him.
My thoughts are with you and your family. Reading about Barry’s cats brought back memories of the stories he used to tell about them and the constant battle he seemed to have with the magpies. It made me smile thinking about those conversations again.
We are thinking of you; Lisa, Deb, Cal, & your families as you mourn the tremendous loss of Barry! He always had a smile and shared a kind word! R.I.P Barb and Jim
Lisa, I am so sorry to hear of Barry’s passing. He was such a delight to see at Pilgrim’s Day Program every week…and on his big walks through the ‘hood. He had the best smile and little twinkle in his eye! He will be missed by so many. Thinking of you and sending hugs to you.
I was incredibly lucky to first meet Barry and Lisa when visiting Lisa’s daughter, my dear friend Jen, maybe 10 or more years ago. He was a wonderfully calm and kind human, and I cherish memories of us all doing giant puzzles together each time I visited. I even think fondly of the time he totally screwed over my promising train route when we played Ticket to Ride.
Each time I came back to Edmonton to visit Jen, I would likely see Barry and Lisa too. Three years ago, after his aphasia diagnosis, the puzzles we did had fewer pieces, but he was still the same wonderfully kind Barry.
After being in Germany for the past 3 years, I finally made it back to Alberta a couple of weeks ago. I wasn’t sure if we would all get to meet up, but I am so glad we did. I am honoured to have gotten to visit with him once more and am overwhelmed by the lovely time we had. He was still Barry in there, despite everything that had happened.
Lisa, you have done more through these past years to help Barry than I can imagine. He was so lucky to have you! I am also in awe of the amazing support he had through these programs. It was wonderful to look through photos of the art projects, activities, and community meetups last time. I am so glad that despite the unfairness of this syndrome, he had people there to help.
Miss you, Barry! Rest in peace. My thoughts are with your family.
Barry was a fun, athletic, artistic, and thoughtful addition to our Day Program group. His witty comments always caught us off guard and made us laugh. He taught us so much about aphasia and how to communicate in different ways. Our program is better for knowing Barry and Lisa and the experience will hopefully help us support others in future. Lisa – no one could have done more for Barry, you were amazing in every way. We are privileged to have known you.