Tears shed, joy relived, at former Richmond Hill mayor Dave Barrow’s memorial service

Barrow’s family and friends were surrounded with members of the community who were reeling in shock and sadness

Yorkregion.com
Oct. 12, 2022
Sheila Wang

A large crowd of people gathered at a memorial service at the Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts to remember former Richmond Hill mayor Dave Barrow in the afternoon of Oct. 4.

While enduring dementia, Barrow died suddenly after a stroke on Sept. 22 at the age of 75, about a year after he retired from the city council.

Barrow’s family and friends were surrounded at the memorial service by members of the community who were reeling in shock and sadness.

Wayne Emmerson, York Region chair and CEO, delivered his words of remembrance to a full theatre audience, following the opening hymn of “In The Garden” by award-winning singer Jackie Richardson.

Emmerson, who was a close friend and colleague of Barrow, was emotional when recalling the memorable times they spent together over the years.

"Dave’s wealth of experience, commitment of our residents and deep understanding of the issues impacting our communities will remain his lasting legacy," he said in a public statement.

Richmond Hill Mayor David West and City Manager Darlene Joslin both talked about their friendships with Barrow. West said he appreciated the “tough decisions” the late mayor made while leading the city through tremendous growth.

Al Duffy, a former mayor of Richmond Hill, also gave a special tribute as a family friend, reminiscing fun travelling anecdotes with Barrow.

Barrow’s wife Tomye Anne Barrow attended the service with their children Greg Barrow and Jennifer Barrow, and grandchildren Jack and Lauren Barrow.

Here are a number of photos of Barrow that have been published in Torstar publications.

Barrow was last seen with Tomye Anne in public on Sept. 15 at a ceremony the city held to dedicate the Dave Barrow Square to him for his over 30 years of services to the community.

The late mayor grew up in Richmond Hill and maintained many great lifelong friendships in the community. He was well known for his personal motto, “it’s all about community,” which is engraved at Dave Barrow Square.

The Dave Barrow Square located east of Central Library is one of a plethora of legacies left by the late mayor in Richmond Hill and York Region at large, from the Dave Barrow Trail on the Oak Ridges Corridor Conservation Reserve to countless community programs.

He began his political career with his first term as Ward 4 councillor in 1978 and remained a councillor until 1985, when he returned to the family business after his father Elgin Barrow’s death. Barrow re-entered political life in 1997 by winning a regional council seat.

Barrow was first elected mayor on Nov. 13, 2006 and was re-elected in 2010, 2014 and 2018.

During his last term on council, Barrow announced his retirement in September 2021 “with a heavy heart” shortly after coming back from a six-month-long medical leave following his doctor’s advice.