Barry Timleck
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Georgetown man honoured for lifetime of giving back with Sovereign's Medal for VolunteersA familiar face in Georgetown and beyond, veteran and Rotary Club leader Barry Timleck has received one of Canada’s highest honours
Veteran and retired accountant Barry Timleck has no shortage of projects to keep himself busy.
Every year, his home in downtown Georgetown becomes a patriotic landmark as it's decked out for Canada Day. He's an active member of the Georgetown Rotary Club, and has been named the Citizen of the Year by the Lions Club on two occasions.
He recently retired as chair of the Georgetown Candlelight Tributes ceremony commemorating Victory in Europe Day, which he helped found.
Decades of community service have caught the attention of Governor General Mary Simon, who has seen fit to award Timleck the Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers.
When he was informed about the award by one of the Governor General’s staff, he simply responded with, “Oh, that’s nice.”
“I thought, ‘I’m probably going to get hit with a scam,’” he remembered in speaking about the call. “I didn't get what she was saying until I hung up.”
As the name implies, the Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers is meant to recognize those who lend their time to the community. The eligibility criteria are fairly simple: recipients have to be living Canadian citizens who have made significant, sustained and unpaid contributions to their community in Canada or abroad. Non-citizens are also eligible if their work has benefited Canada.
“They embody the caring country we aspire to build,” said Lynne Santerre, Assistant Director of Public Affairs for the Governor General’s office. “Passion, dedication and a commitment to community are the driving forces behind the volunteers who receive the Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers.”
Details of Timleck’s life suggest he is the embodiment of a caring country, and he credits his strong sense of community spirit to values instilled at a young age. He was born in 1938, during a time that straddled two eras of upheaval in Canadian history — the Great Depression and the Second World War.
It was a time when people had to look out for one another, especially during the war years. Canadians came together to do their part— whether by working in munitions factories or supporting wounded soldiers returning from the front.
The small-town upbringing helped as well.
“Somebody once said to me, ‘Barry, do you know everybody?’” Timleck joked about his profile within the Georgetown community.
Growing up in Glen Williams, he recalls the hamlet’s culture as being pretty similar - “everybody knew everyone.”
He first dipped his toe in volunteering at the age of 14, when he began caring for an elderly woman named Mrs. Sherman. He would get her mail and pick up groceries for three years.
He would organize dances as well with his childhood best friend Roger Addy every Friday, an event called Club Midtown.
In the 1960s, Timleck married Sandra. She was also heavily involved in the community, and was jointly named Lions Club Citizen of the Year alongside her husband. They were together for decades until her death in 2021.
He drove cancer patients to Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto for the Canadian Cancer Society and was also on the founding committee for Cancer Assistance Halton Hills.
As an accountant, he kept the Georgetown Agricultural Society’s books in good order, ensuring events like the Georgetown Fall Fair were consistently funded.
He served as president of the Rotary Club multiple times, his membership spanning 55 years. He even hosted foreign students as part of the service club's Youth Exchange Program and is still in touch with some of the participants.
This is a small taste of the accomplishments that make Timleck feel, as he says, “damned proud.”
His family will be hosting a small open house at the Georgetown Legion (127 Mill St.) on Nov. 15 from 1 to 5 p.m. All are welcome to stop by and extend their congratulations to Timleck.
Veteran and retired accountant Barry Timleck has no shortage of projects to keep himself busy.
Every year, his home in downtown Georgetown becomes a patriotic landmark as it's decked out for Canada Day. He's an active member of the Georgetown Rotary Club, and has been named the Citizen of the Year by the Lions Club on two occasions.
He recently retired as chair of the Georgetown Candlelight Tributes ceremony commemorating Victory in Europe Day, which he helped found.
Decades of community service have caught the attention of Governor General Mary Simon, who has seen fit to award Timleck the Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers.
When he was informed about the award by one of the Governor General’s staff, he simply responded with, “Oh, that’s nice.”
“I thought, ‘I’m probably going to get hit with a scam,’” he remembered in speaking about the call. “I didn't get what she was saying until I hung up.”
As the name implies, the Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers is meant to recognize those who lend their time to the community. The eligibility criteria are fairly simple: recipients have to be living Canadian citizens who have made significant, sustained and unpaid contributions to their community in Canada or abroad. Non-citizens are also eligible if their work has benefited Canada.
“They embody the caring country we aspire to build,” said Lynne Santerre, Assistant Director of Public Affairs for the Governor General’s office. “Passion, dedication and a commitment to community are the driving forces behind the volunteers who receive the Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers.”
Details of Timleck’s life suggest he is the embodiment of a caring country, and he credits his strong sense of community spirit to values instilled at a young age. He was born in 1938, during a time that straddled two eras of upheaval in Canadian history — the Great Depression and the Second World War.
It was a time when people had to look out for one another, especially during the war years. Canadians came together to do their part— whether by working in munitions factories or supporting wounded soldiers returning from the front.
The small-town upbringing helped as well.
“Somebody once said to me, ‘Barry, do you know everybody?’” Timleck joked about his profile within the Georgetown community.
Growing up in Glen Williams, he recalls the hamlet’s culture as being pretty similar - “everybody knew everyone.”
He first dipped his toe in volunteering at the age of 14, when he began caring for an elderly woman named Mrs. Sherman. He would get her mail and pick up groceries for three years.
He would organize dances as well with his childhood best friend Roger Addy every Friday, an event called Club Midtown.
In the 1960s, Timleck married Sandra. She was also heavily involved in the community, and was jointly named Lions Club Citizen of the Year alongside her husband. They were together for decades until her death in 2021.
He drove cancer patients to Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto for the Canadian Cancer Society and was also on the founding committee for Cancer Assistance Halton Hills.
As an accountant, he kept the Georgetown Agricultural Society’s books in good order, ensuring events like the Georgetown Fall Fair were consistently funded.
He served as president of the Rotary Club multiple times, his membership spanning 55 years. He even hosted foreign students as part of the service club's Youth Exchange Program and is still in touch with some of the participants.
This is a small taste of the accomplishments that make Timleck feel, as he says, “damned proud.”
His family will be hosting a small open house at the Georgetown Legion (127 Mill St.) on Nov. 15 from 1 to 5 p.m. All are welcome to stop by and extend their congratulations to Timleck.