Dr. med. Gabriele Barrie raised her children with the story of The Dancer.
It goes:
Early one morning, an old man walks down a beach and sees a woman
dancing on the shoreline, bending, and stretching her body with the
waves. As he gets closer, he sees she isn’t dancing, but picking up starfish
and tossing them back into the sea.
“There was a big storm last night, and all the starfish washed up to the
beach. The sun will rise soon, and if they don’t return to the water, they’ll
die”, she says.
Upon this, he laughs with amusement. “This beach goes on for miles, the
sun is rising, and there are thousands of starfish – even if you worked
double as hard, it won’t matter.”
The woman looks at him for a moment, holding a starfish. She looks down
at the starfish in her palm. “It matters to this one” she responds, as she
gently tosses it into the sea.
Gabriele lived this story her whole life. She was born in post-war, divided
Berlin, with very little but loving parents, an older sister, and a mischievous
twin. Her dedication to decrease suffering in the world led her to study
medicine, specializing in pediatrics. During a fellowship in Calgary, she
met John, who would become her life’s companion.
John and Gabi moved to Okotoks, where Gabi quickly began volunteering
for her community. She took immigrants to doctor’s appointments and
helped them settle in, she drove for Meals on Wheels, and, with her gentle
dogs, visited long-term care facilities and children with disabilities to
brighten their days. In the 1980s, despite little support and much backlash,
she ended the use of corporal punishment in the Okotoks school system.
She was a loving mother, whose compassion was boundless.
In 1994, she founded Pound Rescue. Over the years, Pound Rescue has
saved the lives of many thousands of dogs, cats, birds, rabbits, and other
animals in the southern Alberta region. She always fought for the most
vulnerable and never shied from difficulty, even in the hardest of times.
She engendered this quality in those around her.
She is missed by John, their three children, four grandchildren, her sisters,
and her many devoted and caring friends. The family would like to thank
these friends, the palliative care team, and those who supported her and
them in the last challenging months of her life.
The funeral will be held at Snodgrass Funeral Homes in Okotoks on
Saturday, December 16th at 1.00 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate donations to Pound Rescue.
