Obituary

BARIL, Armand Gerard
1930 – 2017

Armand passed away peacefully on April 14, 2017 after a brief illness. He was the loving and caring husband for 59 years of Lucie Baril (nee Dombroski), dad to Raymond (Roberta) Baril and Gianetta Baril, and grandfather to Lauren and Amanda Baril, Celia (Tyler) Lane, Jonathan, Michael and Joseph McLean, and great-grandfather to Jeremy Lane. He is survived by his sister, Sister Gilberte Baril, o.p. and a vast number of family and friends.

Armand had a celebrated career in the broadcast industry that began in the 1940s at CKUA radio and concluded after 36 years with CBC in Toronto, Winnipeg and Edmonton. Armand was proud of his work on numerous shows and will be best remembered for his work at CBC Edmonton on shows including Reach for the Top, Keynotes, numerous music shows such as Music In Miniature, CBC Young Performers, the Gala Tri-Bach Concert, the Opening of the Calgary Centre for the Performing Arts and the highly acclaimed Tommy Banks Live.

He was an accomplished pianist and studied at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. His passion for music lead him to sing in the chorus of the Canadian Opera Company, and to major roles with the Edmonton Civic Opera and Edmonton Opera. Later, he sang in Da Camera Singers and the Richard Eaton Singers and for 11 years, was choir director at St. Joseph’s Basilica. He played bass clarinet with the Cosmopolitan Band for 25 years and, in 1985, he formed the Cosmopolitan Chorus, acting as its conductor until 1995. In 2000, he became the music director of the Edmonton Schoolboys’ Alumni Band and remained in that position until 2013.

For the family, it is the gatherings at the family homes and at the cabin at Pigeon Lake that remain most memorable. These were the times that brought Armand the most joy. He will be remembered for being a true gentleman, for his sense of calm, his positive outlook, his smile, ‘that voice’, and his willingness to give in whatever way was needed. The family are grateful for the loving care provided by the staff of St. Joseph’s Palliative Care Hospice and Unit 33 at the Royal Alexandra Hospital.

A funeral for Armand will be held at St. Thomas More Roman Catholic Church, 210 Haddow Close Edmonton, on Tuesday, April 25, 2017 at 11:00 a.m. Donations, in lieu of flowers, may be made to Edmonton Symphony Orchestra or a charity of your choice.

Published in The Edmonton Journal on Apr. 22, 2017

Click here to see the Funeral Program.