A big man with a big heart and a love for both camping and food is being remembered by friends and family after he was killed in a car crash north of Red Deer.
Barry David Pattullo, 63, of Lacombe was on his way to dialysis treatment on Saturday morning when he died in a crash with another vehicle at the intersection of Hwys 2A and 597 between Blackfalds and Red Deer. It was his birthday. Police offered no information about the circumstances of the crash.
His wife of almost 41 years, Leanne, is being joined by their son Ryan and daughter Kimberly and two grandchildren coming from Saskatchewan to remember their dad.
“He loved his family and his many close friends, he had some really close buddies that he loved to get together with,” said Leanne.
“He has two little granddaughters who were the apple of his eye. He loved whenever he could get together with them.”
One of those friends is Barrie Schultz. The two met 48 years ago in high school in Brandon, Man., where they grew up.
They worked all over Alberta in their adult life, but always kept in contact. Eventually they moved to within half an hour’s of drive of each other, with Schultz in Red Deer and Barry in Lacombe. Schultz said they would meet up for dinner at least once every other week, and usually more frequently than that.
“In Brandon we used to, on our weekend, we’d take a trip to Dale’s Truck Stop in Dunseith, North Dakota, just to grab a bite,” said Schultz.
“They had a nine-inch hamburger and a platter of fries and quart of Coca-Cola for $1.95.”
A lifelong camper, Leanne said Barry was looking forward to the spring so he could go camping.
Schultz said because of Barry’s dialysis he couldn’t go very far away. But that didn’t stop Barry from getting out of the city and enjoying the outdoors.
“We’d sit around the campfire, eat. We both had a real affection for food,” said Schultz.
“I sure won’t forget him.”
A campground near Wetaskiwin by the highway was a favourite, as was Gull Lake or the RV There Yet campground just outside of Red Deer.
“He loved camping and he could hardly wait for spring to come so he could get out in that trailer again,” said Leanne. “He loved to spend time with his friends in the campgrounds enjoying a good laugh.
“He’d tease people, he was a big teaser.”
Barry worked for Agriculture and Agri-food Canada in Lacombe, but hadn’t been working recently because of his dialysis. Leanne said he wasn’t in the best of health recently.
mcrawford@www.reddeeradvocate.com