Obituary of Barry Donahue

Barry Michael Donahue Glace Bay Regretfully, Barry Michael Donahue, devoted husband, proud father, and loving son, has passed away at the age of 68 on August 15th, 2022. With his wife and children by his side at the Cape Breton Regional Hospital, Barry had a part of the family he loved, built, and supported there with him. Born in Glace Bay to loving parents John ‘Beeps’ and Mary Donahue and raised with the help of his amazing aunt Olive MacNeil, Barry lived a life that fulfilled his joys of family, nature, sports, and individualism. Barry was a man who thrived in the nature of the bungalow on the Mira River. Every summer day, Barry could be found snorkelling and swimming laps at Spencer Brook, hiking through the back woods’ paths of Cemetery Lane with his dog by his side or building bonfires, wharves and barns or maintaining the bungalow for his family and children to enjoy. When at home in Glace Bay, Barry was an amazing father, husband, and son. He spent his time making sure his family had no needs or wants. He maintained a house with two young children, helping his wife succeed as a teacher and member of the community and supporting fulfilling lives for his mother and aunt. He did this all while also having the freedom to enjoy watching every football, hockey, and basketball game he could with friends in addition to, personal weightlifting sessions multiple times a week. Whether at home in Glace Bay or, especially, at his real home on the Mira River, Barry will be deeply missed by his surviving family; wife of 30 years Brenda Donahue (Donovan), mother Mary Donahue, someone who become more then an aunt Olive MacNeil, son Aaron (Kim) Donahue, daughter Emma Donahue, grandson Oliver James-Michael Donahue and his furever friend, Otis. Barry leaves us to join his father John ‘Beeps’ Donahue and brother Ronald ‘Ronnie’ Donahue; grandparents, Ronald “Ranny Jr.’ and Alice (Bramwell) MacNeil and John and Gertie (McPherson) Donahue. Cremation has taken place. A visitation will be held August 19, 2022, from 12 to 1 p.m. with a service to follow at 1 p.m. with Fr. Norman MacPhee presiding to honour Barry as the light and heart of his family at T.J. Tracey Cremation and Burial Specialists, 370 Reserve Street, Glace Bay, (902-849-4199). With thanks to the staff and community at the Cape Breton Cancer Centre and the Cape Breton Regional Hospital, we the family ask all donations go toward the Cancer Patient Care Fund or any charity that helps your family as they have ours. "He is loved and will never leave our hearts. He will walk beside us though every step of the Mira. While we can no longer hear his laugh, his jokes and quips, we will forever owe our happiness to a man who chose to help his family above his own wants. Forever will he be loved and remembered, with us and our family. Strong, humble and loving always, this is how we will remember our Father, our Husband, our Son, our Friend and our Brother. His strength will be our strength to continue, the warmth of his hugs will be the warmth we give to our own and those we meet. His memory will be as bright as the light he brought to every day we spent with him. As long as we can see his light in our hearts, his memory will live with us forever and be shared with those we love."