Obituary of Reginald Macauley Barnett

Reginald Victor Macauley Barnett Victor died peacefully in his 90th year after several years of living with Parkinson's. He was surrounded by his large family: His much beloved wife of 61 years Barbara (nee Allen); daughters Joyce (Alison), Linda (Ian), and Judy; sons Peter (Anna) and Tom (Ingrid); and grandchildren Merritt, Hannah, Blair, Adrienne, Mackenzie, Robbie, Clayton, Jamie, and Violet. Victor was educated at UCC and UTS before attending University of Toronto for one year. After enlisting in the RCAF, he was seconded to the RAF in 1943. The stamina and bravery he demonstrated in flying over 30 missions as navigator on a Lancaster bomber led to his being awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross in December 1944. After the war, Victor continued his education at U of T and became a chartered accountant. He trained at McDonald Currie, became treasurer at Turnbull Elevator, and joined Clarkson Gordon in 1961. When he opened Clarkson's office in Montréal in 1963, he was a trustee in bankruptcy. A talented and tireless forensic accountant, in his professional prime he had only one client, traversing the globe to retrieve shareholders' assets that had been stolen in the largest fraud of its time. Victor had many interests. His love of theater paid a delightful dividend. Attending a party for Hart House thespians at Dora Mavor Moore's, he asked a friend, ''Who is that blond in the corner?'' When told her name was Barbara Allen, Victor replied, ''That's the girl I'm going to marry.' True to his word, the couple was married 5 years later in 1951. He was the inaugural treasurer of the National Ballet of Canada. He was a warden at both Christ Church Deer Park in Toronto and Christ Church Gregory in Muskoka. Victor was also a member of numerous clubs, including the Royal Montréal Golf Club, the Town of Mt. Royal Curling Club, the Toronto Cricket Skating and Curling Club, and the Windermere Golf Club. His warmth, generosity and storytelling will be sorely missed. The family would like to thank the attentive staff on the 4th floor at the Dunfield Retirement Residence for their compassionate care of Victor over the past year. There will be a visitation at Humphrey Funeral Home on Friday, January 25 from 3-5pm and 6-8 pm. A memorial service will be held at Christ Church Deer Park on Saturday, January 26 at 11am. In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to Christ Church Deer Park.