Obituary of Barbara Josephine Paine

Born October 22, 1926 in New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA, to Ida Henshaw and Richard Barton Bright. Her parents returned to England shortly after her birth and she was raised in a small place called Oswaldtwistle, in Lancashire, England. Barbara achieved academic excellence early in life despite wartime interfering with her normal studies. Wartime necessity pushed her towards an engineering interest, which started with fixing radios in the bomber planes, but eventually the needs of the time led her towards nursing. After surviving, and helping many others survive the London bombings of WWII, she graduated with a Nursing degree. Well established as a proficient nurse at the St. Andrews Hospital in England, she caught the eye of surgeon and urologist, Dr. Don Paine. They fell in love after a rocky start of "Who's boss?" in the emergency room, and ultimately married on Nov. 29, 1954. Their plan became to escape the effects of post-war socialized medicine and economic hardship in England by sailing to Canada in 1956, to start a new life with greater opportunity. They arrived in Montreal with their infant firstborn son Richard, on January 1st, 1956. They worked in Hamilton General Hospital before moving to North Bay and she and Don went on to form an inseparable, devoted, and happy partnership for 57 years. When the family settled in North Bay, Barbara was rudely introduced to major snow and cold, but she was determined to persevere! She raised three children and provided nursing and administrative support in her husband's medical practice where they provided innovative medical service to Northern Ontarians for the next 22 years. Barbara was the steadfastness, common sense, sensitivity, and charisma “behind the throne” in all Don and Barb initiated and engaged in. What they tackled included the establishment of the Northern Ontario Kidney Dialysis Unit at Civic Hospital, without any initial financial support from the Ministry of Health. The North Bay Dialysis Unit thrives today and, for more than 40 years, has extended lives and made life more pleasant for many patients. She was self sacrificing and opened her home to both her mother and her mother in-law from England for a great many years while raising three young children. Her selflessness, and endless patience and empathy for her mothers will be rewarded in heaven! In 1979, Barbara and Don “escaped” impending socialized medicine for a second time, moving to South Carolina and leaving all three children behind in school and early careers in Canada. They spent the next 30 years practicing medicine, making new friends and thoroughly enjoying the sun and warmer climate of the Southern USA. Barbara was a citizen of three countries and loved each with equal zeal and appreciation for their differences. Barbara was renowned for her fabulous parties, her very social nature, openness, and caring for all newcomers to North Bay, having been one herself. She had boundless energy for shopping and decorating, a quick wit, an easy laugh, and an interest in people. Barbara loved questioning people to learn more about them out of a sheer curiosity in knowing what makes them “tick”. She put up with Don's lack of political-correctness, and she held her own strong opinions on many subjects. As one example, it took several decades for her health-conscious doctor husband to wear resolute Barbara down and convince her to give up her social smoking habit. But Barbara was also a deeply supportive wife, and played her traditional role earnestly and quietly. She was a long suffering, and amused sailing partner to her passionate sailboat-racer husband, who co-founded with Don Rumble, the Trout Lake Wayfarer Sailing Fleet (TLWSF). The TLWSF held weekend amateur races in North Bay for 25 years. During most of those years, rain or shine, she was an intrepid crew-mate on the spinnaker, competing with Don in all weather conditions, and always obeying his barking orders trying to win the many races on Trout Lake. In all these races, she was always second mate, consistent with friends and family never being promoted to captaincy in a boat skippered by Don Paine! She loved to be involved in all kinds of activities and was an avid tennis player, took up recreational curling and skiing as an adult when she first came to North Bay, just to see what these Canadian sports were all about and to meet interesting people. Barbara was always game for something new in that true English, war-generation spirit. She was an adventurous traveler, experiencing Egypt and South Africa, and other places afar, before it was common place. Don and Barbara swooshed down the Grand Canyon on a rubber raft in the early 60's, and went “bareboat” racing in Greece and the Bermuda triangle, all adventurous holidays that sometimes narrowly missed taking their lives. As a mother, Barbara was the caring steady force raising three head-strong children. Her support and strength in providing guidance to them during the youth-rebellion of the 70's and 80's was ultimately rewarded as they all survived their escapades, and all graduated from university to lead rich and rewarding lives. Barbara was a highly committed family matriarch who relished Christmas gatherings and summer family reunions on Anita Avenue, in Hartsville, Myrtle Beach, or at the cottage on Trout Lake. There was always a sparkle in her eyes and a smile on her face as the gathered family brought the homesteads to life with chatter, chiding and laughter. She was one of a kind, always pushing family, friends and young professionals to do what they do best, whatever their interest or endeavor but always insisting they do it with passion. Barbara passed away Sunday, October 28, 2012 at the age of 86. Predeceased by her husband Dr. Donald Thomas Paine, she leaves her children Richard (Catherine Mambourg), Vicky (Ray Mantha), Nicholas (Susan Bent), and step daughter Penny Owen, and her six grandchildren Max, Alex, Morgan, Hunter, Logan, and Jagger, all whom will remember the good times, and keep these memories alive.