Obituary of Barry Herriot Matheson

The Honourable Barry Herriot Matheson Superior Court of Justice MATHESON, Barry - Born June 28, 1939 in Winnipeg, Manitoba and died peacefully on June 16, 2014. Always proud of his Selkirk settler roots, he moved to St. Catharines as a baby. Barry is survived by his beloved wife Bettianne and their two daughters, Lea and Susan; son-in-law Vivek Bakshi and grandson, Jack; sister Jane Matheson Michalak; brother-in-law John Cupp; cousins Patrick Reid, Tim Reid, Peter Akin and Mary Ann Fitzgerald. Predeceased by his parents John Pritchard (Jack) and Alice Herriot Matheson and brother Ian. He attended Ridley College (’57), Trinity College, University of Toronto (6T1) and Osgoode Hall Law School (’66). He practiced law at Sullivan, Mahoney in St. Catharines. In 1983, Barry was appointed to the Queen's Counsel and certified as a specialist in both civil litigation and criminal law. He was appointed to the Superior Court of Justice in March 1998. In addition to his professional life he was active in his community. He was a founding member of the St. Catharines Squash Club and the St. Catharines Montessori School. He was President of the St. Catharines Club and President of the Lincoln County Law Society; Chairman of the St. Catharines General Hospital and Chairman of the CAA Niagara. He was a member of the St. Catharines Rotary Club, recipient of the Paul Harris award and the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal. Barry was an accomplished athlete in football and track and field. He loved history, reading, bicycling, the law, canoeing in Algonquin Park and traveling the world to visit his daughters. He was an admirer of Winston Churchill and a very proud Canadian. We will miss his sense of adventure, his stories and love of family and his witty humour. He was a fair, honest, loyal and ethical man. In lieu of flowers, and if so desired, memorial donations may be made to the St. Catharines General Hospital. A memorial service will be held on Friday, June 27 at 12 p.m. noon at Ridley College Chapel, 2 Ridley Road, St. Catharines.