Cycling with the Freewheelers was his passion
Frank Barnsley passed away on February 6, 2025. He was our role model, mentor, and good friend. He joined the Freewheelers in 1996 following bypass surgery and quickly made cycling with the Freewheelers one of his passions. Ever an optimist, for his 90th birthday he ordered a custom-made Cannondale bike and got to ride it for a few years. He showed us that age is just a number and that you never stop doing what you love. The other passion of his senior years was being a member of the Niagara Woodcarving Association. He enjoyed creating meticulous images of many different bird species, as well as other subjects. Patience was certainly one of his virtues.
Frank treasured the love of two beautiful women in his life. He and Audrey came to Canada from England as a young married couple. They were together for nearly 50 years and after she passed he was blessed with the companionship of a long–time friend Joan. Together they travelled, danced, and attended all the Freewheeler events. They were disappointed to realize that after the close of the cycling season they wouldn’t see their Freewheeler friends for many months. So they started the tradition of inviting everyone to attend a luncheon at the Mandarin Restaurant on the Friday before Christmas where they would act as hosts. To the delight of our members, Frank was still hosting at 102.
He had a grand sense of humour and the ability to deeply enjoy whatever life presented. His home was filled with warmth and good cheer. On his 80th birthday, he led an 80 km bike ride with many friends as back up, followed by homemade soup and birthday cake at his residence. That also became a tradition. When he could no longer lead that ride, the group ride started at his home and he came out to see them off and the soup and birthday tradition continued. He was 102 at his last birthday party.
It was typical of Frank’s modesty that we knew him for many years before we incidentally discovered that he had served in the British Royal Navy during WWII and was one of the lucky sailors who survived the sinking of his ship in 1944. He also turned out to be the last survivor of the HMS Penelope. You can look for his story in the war museum in Ottawa.
We were privileged to get to know and love Frank for so many years. He spent his last years in Niagara Gardens Retirement Manor where he would dutifully walk the halls before breakfast to do his exercise. He loved having visitors especially if they arrived carrying a small Tim Hortons coffee – 2 cream & 1 sweetener. Though many of us were decades younger than Frank, that was immaterial. People are people and Frank had the unique ability to connect with everyone regardless of age.
The Freewheelers will always be grateful to Frank for the many ways that he brought us together, for initiating so many wonderful times, and for the life inspiration that he was to us all.
