Thompson Family Funerals
Our family caring for your family
SHEEN, Barry Douglas
24.12.1936 – 12.04.2024. Dear & loved Husband of Joan and the man who cared for her children Jenny, Josephine & Donald. Dear Poppy to Sean, Carla & their families.
A Caring Husband
Loved, Inspirational & Generous Brother of Kaye Payne & family.
In accordance with Barry’s wish, he will be Privately Cremated.
VALE Barry Sheen
Barry Sheen died recently in hospital after a short illness. The family have asked if friends of Barry would like to write some words,
in recognition of his passing.
My name is Alan Clifford and I have had 3 significant associations with Barry over 45 years.
First Meeting
The first was around 1980. At that time, I worked in the Education Department in Victoria. One of my roles as a teacher and fledgling bureaucrat was some responsibility for supporting the work of Technical School librarians in about 120 schools. I knew little about the work of librarians, but I chaired the Statewide Library Standing Committee and proceeded to learn from a group of very strong women teacher librarians. It was here that I first heard of Barry Sheen who was the head of the Library Branch of the Department. He was hugely respected by my new librarian colleagues. The Library Branch provided a wide range of support services to all Victorian schools and Barry had created an organisation that enjoyed great regard from the librarians it supported.
My first meeting with Barry occurred at the Annual Conference for Librarians. He was the keynote speaker and I recall being somewhat resigned to a potentially boring speech on a subject about which, I knew little. Barry looked like a rather small conservative gentleman in a suit! That was a least until he started speaking! Barry was a consummate public speaker, and I was to see this side of him many times in the future. To say that the assembled librarians doted on his every word would be no exaggeration! And the old adage of not judging books by their cover [no pun intended,] was never better illustrated.
Like all good things, Library Branch came to an end and having worked together for a year or two, Barry and I moved on to different roles and places.
Second Association
In 1990, I became the principal of Castlemaine Technical College. Three years later we merged with Castlemaine High School to become Castlemaine Secondary College. This was a large and rather complex school on two main campuses. As principal, I was fortunate to have a very good staff, excellent students[mostly!] and a very supportive College Council. What I needed was a highly competent Council President.
It was at this time that I learned that Barry and Joan had retired to Campbell’s Creek. I renewed my association with Barry and he agreed to become a coopted member of council. Subsequently, he was duly elected as College Council President. He held this position up to and including my own retirement in 2004.
Over these many years, Barry and I worked very closely together, and he played an important role in creating an excellent secondary school for Castlemaine and district. The college was named as one of the best government schools of its type in Victoria by a major Monash University Study in the early 2000’s.
As with the Librarians previously, Barry earned the respect and admiration of all members of the school community for his calm, authoritative and wise leadership role at the school. At our annual College Awards Nights, Barry’s speeches were yet another reminder of his consummate public speaking skill.
At a personal level, running a large school can be challenging and I was always able to rely on Barry’s loyalty, support, and wisdom. He made my role as principal so much easier and for this, he holds my eternal gratitude.
Third Association
For the last two decades, my wife Karmela and I kept in touch with Barry and Joan regularly but infrequently. We visit Castlemaine quite a lot having many family and good friends there, including Barry and Joan. Our visitation ritual to Campbell’s Creek, was to arrive midafternoon at the house and enjoy a cup of tea and usually, Joan’s fruitcake and other goodies. We would chat for a couple of ours about everything from our respective travels to politics and world affairs. Happily, we shared with Joan and Barry, a progressive view on social justice and political issues. Our discussions were wide ranging, and they underscored to me yet again, what a fine intellect and wonderful self-expression Barry, and for that matter Joan, possessed.
We would remember and talk about many aspects of our various working and social lives, both together and separately.
In Summary
In my career, I have met few leaders of Barry’s caliber. Few in my experience have matched him in wisdom and in a quiet passion for improving the lot of his fellow man. Barry always impressed me for the absolute absence of personal egotism in the way in which he related to people. This was no small accomplishment for someone of Barry’s capacity and his understated charisma.
Karmela and I are saddened at his passing but cheered by contemplating, in Barry’s case, a life well lived.
Alan Clifford AM
Queenscliff
Victoria
I knew Barry Sheen when I was a Year 12 pupil at Camperdown High School in the early 1960’s, which must have been close to Barry’s (Mr Sheen’s) first appointment as a school librarian. When I saw the funeral notice I wondered if it was the same person I knew, and the photo confirmed it. I am so pleased to see that Barry Sheen lived a happy, full, and successful life, committed to excellent education for regional students in the state system. As a student I remember him as a very helpful and smiling librarian. May he rest in peace.
We are very sorry to learn of the sad loss of Barry. We remember him in local government, married to Joan working for the department of education. And a lovely caring, informed and intelligent man. We lost touch in recent years, but knew that Barry and Joan were happy in their chosen place of Campbells Creek. RIP Barry. Sincere sympathies to Joan. Roz and Terry Blades
Our feet crunched on the gravel as we approached the house, the crisp air cold on my face. Grandma and Poppy stood on the elevated concrete porch – backlit by the blue sky of Campbells Creek.
Grandma smiled and waved with a quiet “hullo!”
Poppy made a humble figure beside his adored wife. His outfit reflected another time – brown leather shoes, pressed light brown pants, dark brown woollen jumper, white collared shirt peaking through the top. His hands were thoughtfully clasped behind his back – his grin beamed.
“This is your great grand-daughter: Scarlett,” I said holding our 12 month old out. “Do you want to cuddle her?” I asked, knowing the response.
“Oh golly!” he replied with a wide smile and a diagonal nod to humorously decline. “I am quite alright, thank-you!!”
Poppy studied Scarlett as I held her in my arms. He gazed at her lovingly, quietly in thought. After a time he looked up. “She is quite marvellous Sean,” he said proudly.
Poppy was warm, loving, loyal, dedicated, articulate, wryly humorous, and deeply thoughtful. I miss him dearly. He will live forever in the life-time of happy memories he imparted us all.
Thank-you for the stories above. They closely match my experience of Poppy as well.
So sad and a shock to hear of Barry’s passing. A softly spoken man of immense intelligence we loved visiting him and Joan back when my Dad was alive and we lived just up the road in Fryerstown, reminiscing about days gone by and family history and stories. Deepest condolences to Joan, Kaye and all the family. RIP Barry. Michael Elborn and Marta Chapman
I got to know Barry when I taught and filled a number of leadership roles, first at Castlemaine High School, then at Castlemaine Technical College, and, later, at the merged Castlemaine Secondary College. At the latter, I was also the Staff Representative of the College Council. It was my considerable pleasure to know Barry – directly, as a colleague often present in administrative and other meetings and at various school events, and also as someone who always took such a committed, cheerful, quietly intelligent, wise and vital interest in the school, in all things ‘education’, in the general community, and in me and my passion for literature, language and English teaching. His own love of these things shone through in all of our conversations, quietly reflecting his deep knowledge of books, writing and profound and meaningful ideas. Barry was also consistently the consummate gentleman, greeting me with a smile, sincere and interested questions, and encouraging and respectful interest. All of this reflected his genuine interest in my work as an English teacher and coordinator, and, by inference, in me as a person. I always came away feeling buoyed and valued by Barry. This, I now realise, as I think of my many encounters with him, was one of his very special, if self-effacing and ‘unflashy’ skills.
I was very sad to read of Barry’s passing, but am immensely glad and grateful to have had the privilege of knowing him, not only via my work in education for many years, but also as a co-citizen of our wonderful town. He was someone who never failed to stop, smile and pause for a chat, if ever I met him in the community, and I know I would not have been alone in this experience.
What a wonderful man Barry was. Everything about him – outwardly unassuming and humble though he was – represents how we all should live our lives and ‘live’ for our communities. I very much appreciate his example.
Vale, Barry, and sincere and grateful condolences to his beloved Joan and family.
Alisoun
Joan and family thank you all for your kindness, thoughts and memories. It is wonderful and a comfort to read these tributes.
Stuart Magee
June 14 2024
In 1954 I attended the Bendigo Teachers’ College reunion. There were organised functions including one by current students involved in an activity at a playing field/parkland. I do not recall the organised function but rather one that was taking place on the fringe of playing field. About twenty metres distant stood a youthful figure seemingly on a knoll because he was head and shoulders above an attentive audience of about ten other students. With a shock of fair hair bobbing about on his head his animated delivery was obviously captivating.
In 1965 I attended a course in librarianship that was being managed by Bert Housden of Library Branch of the Education Department. At the conclusion of a lecture he announced that next week he had invited a young librarian named Barry Sheen to speak to us. The next week came and Barry with a partial smile on his face spoke enthusiastically about his experiences as a librarian in a school. We were captivated and hung on every word.
I was appointed in to Library Branch in 1972 where Barry had been in charge for some time. It was then that I realised that the youthful fellow who commanded such attention on the fringe of the playing field at Bendigo was none other than Barry Sheen. Barry was always courteous and respectful of all at Library Branch and he was highly regarded for his management skills.
I remained at Library Branch for five years and it was only after leaving that Barry and I established a friendship that lasted for the next forty eight years. Soon after the commencement of this friendship, our wives were included in our regular meetings. It was obvious and clear that Barry was proud of Joan.
Barry also spoke fondly of his parents and his siblings. We have been fortunate to be a part of Barry’s life. Sean’s portrayal of the family at Castlemaine depicts a Barry that we fondly remember.
Deepest sympathy to Joan and Kerry and their families.