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Our Member Barry Rains ("Waterdog") Has Passed, Obituary

Glenn MacGrady

Glenn MacGrady

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Barry Rains' ("Waterdog") wife, Sherri, logged on as @waterdog's wife to notify me that Barry passed away on January 16 at age 54 after a short fight with esophageal cancer. Barry was a long time member and big financial supporter of this site for many, many years. His wonderful trip reports, full of great pictures of himself and his dog, and his helpful, sage advice about many aspects of canoeing will remain immortalized on this forum for posterity as long as this forum lasts.

You may pay your respects to Barry in this thread or privately to Sherri by private conversation.

RIP, old friend, though we never actually met in person.

I found this obituary online:

www.sorgefuneralhome.com

Obituary for Barry S. Rains | Sorge Funeral Home and Crematory Inc.

Share memories & support the family
www.sorgefuneralhome.com www.sorgefuneralhome.com
 
Sounds like a life well lived.
In the End that is what we can hope for.
Farewell Waterdog and Thanks.
 
Oh my … I feel a little dead inside after reading this post. Barry was a member here who’s posts I made it a point to read. He helped me a lot with training my dog Jake. I enjoyed reading about the trips he took with his dogs, and loved looking at the pictures of his Stewart River Prospector. I will miss him.

Bob.
 
I never met Barry in person but we exchanged a number of PMs. A very generous guy sharing of his knowledge and love of canoes and canoeing. Will definitely miss his presence on the board.
 
Here is Barry's superb report of his solo trip (with his 14 month old dog Cricket) in tough weather around the Adirondack's famed Whitney Wilderness Loop:

Adirondacks Whitney Wilderness Loop Fall 2021

I just got back from a 5 day fall canoe trip that started 10/17 and ended on 10/21. I paddled the Whitney Wilderness Area loop from the Little Tupper Lake headquarters, traveling clockwise on the map and returning to the headquarters to complete the loop. Little Tupper Lake, Rock Pond...
www.canoetripping.net

Barry's last two words posted on this site, 14 days before he died, were: "Cheers, Barry".
 
In an age where the written word is in a sad decline I find it comforting that you can feel as though you know someone through their writings based on the simplicity of similar affinities. Never met Barry but nontheless I feel the loss. Cheers Barry we’ll miss you.
 
When I first took over this orphaned site, I received an substantial unsolicited check from Barry to help with the administration fees. I returned the check, telling him that I preferred to finance it on my own till I knew I wasn’t in over my head.
I never forgot his generosity or confidence in my efforts, and I always made a point of following his posts also.
To be taken in what I consider the prime of life saddens me, may he Rest In Peace.
 
For the past few years I've taken to visiting the online obits in a hometown paper. Not because I'm a morose guy, but because I have lost touch with whatever community there once was, and so the connections I once had to people has become threadbare and seldom. I scan thru the weeks and weeks of notices hoping and praying I won't recognize any faces and names, but unfortunately I sometimes do. Distant family members, long lost old friends, and nearly forgotten acquaintances, all appear to me, and as sad as it always is, I'm grateful for the opportunity to learn of their passing and the honour of remembering them well.
Thank you Glenn for affording us this opportunity to remember well, an acquaintance to some, and a friend to all of this canoe tripping community. For auld lang syne I will go with Barry virtually on his last trip and remember him well.
Sympathy and strength to his wife and family.
 
RIP, Barry.
Barry was very helpful in the build-up to my SRT purchase. He went out of his way to take detailed measurements and pictures of his own SRT, a very kind gesture. I’ll miss his presence on these boards. Sincere condolences to his family and loved ones.

-tomo
 
My condolences to Barry's family. While never having met Barry, he was kind enough to share some of his knowledge about a canoe route that I finally completed this past October. Additionally, I never tired of seeing his pictures of the lovely Stewart River wood/canvas canoe and his canine pals.

A measure of someone's life is often reflected in the durability of their memory shared by friends and acquaintances. There are certainly many here who will sustain Barry's memory.
 
Rest In Peace Waterdog. I sure did enjoy the few PMs we shared, and I enjoyed your trip reports immensely.
 
I can’t believe it’s taken me as long as it has to see this. I used Barry’s Whitney wilderness report to plan my own trip there. Wish I could have met him, but happy I was able to know him via this forum. RIP.
 
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