Obituary of Barbara Dorothy Huddart

Barbara Dorothy Huddart (née Morgan), beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and friend, passed away peacefully at Leacock Care Centre in Orillia, surrounded by her family, on Saturday, January 17, 2026, at the age of 88. Born in Toronto to Martha Matilda (née Lewis) and James Walter Morgan in 1937, Barbara grew up in East York alongside her older sister, Joyce Louise (d. 2002). She attended Victoria College at the University of Toronto, graduating in 1958 with a BA in psychology. An accomplished and enthusiastic athlete, Barbara competed at the intercollegiate level in volleyball, basketball, baseball, and floor hockey, earning a silver “T,” one of the university’s most prestigious athletic honours. While completing her undergraduate degree, Barbara was introduced to her future husband, J. David Huddart, who had recently returned from the U.K., where he had spent three years working as a graduate apprentice in mechanical engineering. After graduating, Barbara took her first professional role, improving office efficiency at a knitting mill. She soon returned to the University of Toronto and completed her master’s degree in psychology in just one year, a feat she later described as simple “if you were organized and focused and didn’t waste time.” Barbara and David married in September 1960 and settled into many happy years of family life in their new home in Etobicoke. Living near Paul and Diane Walters allowed a friendship first formed in campus coffee shops to deepen and evolve over a lifetime. In 1972, Barbara returned to full-time work as a psychoeducational consultant for the Toronto Board of Education, skillfully balancing a demanding career with raising four children under the age of ten. Her work with children affected her deeply; she often came home wishing she could help more, instilling in her own children a lasting sense of empathy, kindness, and gratitude. Barbara valued the close-knit community of her colleagues, and her friendship with Carol Overholt endured for the rest of her life. Barbara and David raised their family in Etobicoke, making the most of summer breaks with cross-country adventures in a VW camper van. On one memorable trip, an old farmhouse along a dirt road in Nova Scotia captured their hearts. Months later, to their surprise, they became proud owners of a piece of Cape Breton Island. Annual journeys to Cap le Moine began in 1971—four children, a few pets, one car, and a trailer loaded with bikes, motorcycles, and summer gear. By the early 1980s, as the children grew older, summer life shifted closer to home, with time spent at a chalet in Horseshoe Valley and a cottage at Six Mile Lake. In retirement, Barbara and David divided their time between Toronto and cottage country. Barbara was a devoted wife to the late J. David Huddart (d. 2013) and a loving mother and role model to her four children: Steven; Margot (Douglas) Sutherland; Christopher J.; and Patrice (Edward) Hornibrook. She was a cherished grandmother to seven grandchildren— Sophie (Matthew) Heffernan, Simon; Michael and Meagan (Sutherland); and Madeleine, Evelyn, and Eleanor (Hornibrook)— and a great-grandmother to Alfred Heffernan. She will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered by all who knew her. Her caring, playful spirit lives on through her children and grandchildren. Barbara’s greatest joys were spending time with children, family and friends, reading, playing games, and tackling crosswords—ideally while relaxing in a hammock. With gratitude, Barbara’s family wishes to acknowledge the warmth and kindness shown to her during her years at Leacock Retirement Lodge (2015–2020) and Leacock Care Centre (2020–2026). While family visits, cards, and letters brought comfort from afar, it was the people at Leacock who sustained Barbara’s spirit and smile with their compassion, positivity, hugs, and care. Thank you to the entire Leacock community, past and present, for being truly wonderful. In keeping with Barbara’s wishes, cremation has taken place. A Celebration of Life is tentatively planned for early June. Please contact the family for details. Online messages of condolence may be shared at www.simcoefuneralhome.ca. Barbara’s legacy of curiosity, kindness, and quiet strength will continue to guide those who loved her. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating in Barbara’s memory to: Helping Hands, Orillia https://www.helpinghandsorillia.ca/get-involved#Donate Etobicoke Senior Support Services https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/6757