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Barbara Lee Ekman passed away peacefully in her sleep with her beloved son Brian by her side on Friday, December 2, 2022, in hospital in Cobourg, Ontario, after a brief illness and a long and happy life well-lived. She was 97 years old.
Barbara was born in Concordia, Kansas on May 4, 1925, to Talmage and Blanche (Doherty) Hughes of St. Thomas, Ontario, and was the younger sister of Jean (Hughes) Fenech of Windsor, Ontario.
Barbara studied fine art under the acclaimed artist Herman Heimlich in Montreal in the 1940s. After graduating from commercial art school, she illustrated columns in the Standard newspaper for Kate Aitken, whose best-selling cookbooks and etiquette guides also featured Barbara’s drawings.
Barbara moved to Toronto in the ‘50s. Her women’s fashion illustrations in advertisements for Simpsons, The Room, Eaton’s, Sears, The Bay and Creeds graced the pages of daily newspapers across the country several times a month for more than 30 years.
In the ‘60s, Barbara taught fashion illustration at the Ontario College of Art. Over two decades, her high fashion illustrations appeared regularly in the industry newspaper, Style. The Fashion Group of Toronto commissioned Barbara’s illustrations for their Six Decades Of Fashion exhibition at the Royal Ontario Museum in 1977.
Loved and missed profoundly by her devoted son Brian Ekman, and by his partner John Welch, their close friends and extended family, Barbara is also cherished by her dear nieces Monica Mordin, Priscilla Nehra and Noelle Bough, and by friends and staff at her retirement homes in Cobourg and Toronto.
Barbara’s family would especially like to thank Dr. Kathleen Barnard-Thompson for the thorough and compassionate care she has provided Barbara over the last two years and for guiding her end-of-life journey.
The family is grateful to all of the health care providers and retirement home workers who helped Barbara to live independently, and to everyone in hospital who looked after her so professionally and lovingly in her final days.
For those who wish to do so, her family would be grateful for any donations in her memory to Northumberland Hills Hospital in Cobourg.
As per her wishes, Barbara will be privately cremated and laid to rest at St. John’s Norway Cemetery in Toronto. A celebration of her wonderful life will take place in 2023.
May she rest in peace.
Hi Brian so sorry to hear your mom passed away, ( just getting to emails now. ) I tend not to check them very much and was away on a much needed break. Your mom was a dear soul and like my own mom who passed at 96.5 years. (so I guess we can say pretty much the same time on the planet for both .) She will be missed and I am very proud of you for being such a remarkable son, I know you will miss her deeply and it takes time to adjust but you carry her in your soul and actually half of your genes to be biologic. I still miss my mom, years now since her passing, and quite miss her. It is the way of life, comings and goings. Time is the most precious thing we have so use it well. We never know our own time, Many thanks for your trust in her care when she was in my practice. Doc B
My Dearest Brian, Guy et moi sommes en pensées avec toi. Console toi en pensant qu'elle a eu une vie bien remplie et qu'elle a été adorée de son généreux fils. Je t'embrasse et espère avoir le plaisir de te revoir très bientôt. En toute amitiés, Chris & Guy
Dear Brian I am so sad, I know you loved your mother very very much. You took care of her with love and tenderness. My thougts are with you and your partner. Nicole
Barbara will be missed by all who knew her - an interesting and engaging lady of many talents - with an infectious laugh, gracious demeanor and welcoming friendship. With love and condolence. Janice
So sorry to hear this. Your mother was so fortunate to have such a wonderful and devoted son. Take care.
Brian, my sincere condolences on the death of your Mother . She was a wonderful person. I will remember her as a kind thoughtful friend.
Dear Brian: I am so, so sorry for your loss. I know how devoted you were to your mother. Even though I did not know her personally, I often felt inspired by the way you spoke about her with genuine friendship and love. What a special relationship you had: A lifetime of sweet memories. God Bless Barbara for being a wonderful mother to my dear friend. Love, Donna
Brian, my deepest condolences to you in the loss of your Mom. She was an absolute sweetheart whose smile lit up the room, and brightened the darkest days. She will be sorely missed. RIP Barb.
Brian & John, I was so very sorry to hear about your mom’s passing. She was a beautiful person and I will miss her dearly. She made a positive impact on my life and I will always be grateful that I had the privilege of knowing her.
Brian, I send my sincere condolences to you. Your Mom was a lovely lady, and, it was a privilege for me to know her. Rest In Peace Barb ??
Brian I am so very sorry for the loss of your mom. She was a beautiful woman whose smile lit up the room. I shall miss her dearly.