Jonathan Curtis BARKER

JONATHAN CURTIS BARKER Jonathan lived life to the fullest with an astonishing range of accomplishments and passions: a devoted, proud and fun-loving husband and father, an internationally acclaimed and award-winning filmmaker, a successful entrepreneur and respected industry leader with a large soul, gregarious with a magnetic personality and infectious laugh, a committed environmentalist and lover of the natural world, a maverick and mischief maker, yet a deep thinker and engaging conversationalist with a marvellous array of amusing anecdotes and heartfelt stories always up for competitive banter, a stunning lead singer of an R and B band, a well-seasoned problem solver, an intrepid world traveller and explorer, multi-lingual, a skilled athlete, an entertainment lawyer, guitar and harmonica player, actor and theatre producer and in summer while at university, a tree planter (10,000 trees in one amazing day); he moved with ease between the diverse worlds of media, the arts, science literacy, business and adventure, always bursting with love for his family. With a strong work ethic, he instilled in those around him to set and reach their goals but always to take time to relax, which for him was scuba diving in remote locations with his family, enjoying concerts, movies and plays, and whenever he could, being at the family's island paradise in Georgian Bay - reading, playing Scrabble, canoeing or taking a sail, imitating a loon call to perfection, diving into the cool water after a hot sauna and gazing at the Milky Way. Jonathan knew he was a blessed man with a unique and fulfilling life, always up for new challenges and bringing together the world's top natural history filmmakers, organizations and acting talent (Sir David Attenborough, Dame Judi Dench, Gordon Pinsent, Graeme Ferguson, Peter Parks, Toni Myers, Howard and Michele Hall, Mike Slee, Myles Connolly, David Keighley, The National Science Foundation, Dr. Sean B. Carroll of Tangled Bank Studios of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and the world's leading museums such as the Smithsonian Institution) and having the special opportunity to work with his adored wife and partner, fellow producer and screenwriter Wendy MacKeigan whose hand he always reached for and she for his. He called their three decades long love affair, a coup de foudre, in its intensity from beginning to end. On July 5, 2018, our greatly beloved Jonathan died peacefully, in his 67th year, taken from us too soon and too suddenly following complications from an aggressive cancer. With him and supporting him for his final and heroic stage of life were Wendy and precious children, Scott, Tyler, Georgia, Alex and Caleigh. He is also survived by admired and loved brothers, Bill and Bruce Barker; and his sister, Priscilla Miller, their spouses; his sisters and brother in-laws, Linda, Dallas and Forrest MacKeigan and Rob Ashall; with many nephews, nieces and other half-siblings and relations all of whom will remember him vividly as will his many friends and colleagues for always making them laugh and feeling energized. Born in Chicago, a Mayflower descendant, Jonathan moved with his Barker family to Canada just two years later. He was preceded by his late parents; William and Priscilla Curtis Barker. His natural father was the late Anthony G.S. Griffin. He grew up in Montreal, attended Selwyn House and Trinity College School, and University of Toronto and law school at McGill (LLB and BCL) especially pleased to pass the California bar. After acting and producing in theatre, he practiced law, became the CEO of the Ontario Film Development Corporation, headed up the production and distribution division for IMAX Corporation, then followed by successfully co-running Shaftesbury Films, where he started SK Films with retired and distinguished IMAX co-founder, Robert Kerr, Jonathan continued the company as an independent producer, soon joined by Wendy. SK is proudly in its 20th year. Jonathan produced and/or distributed an array of some of the industry's most acclaimed IMAX 3D films set in space, rainforests, deserts, mountaintops and underwater including Into the Deep; Oscar shortlisted film Bugs!; Flight of the Butterflies (currently on Netflix) which achieved the only ever clean sweep of the Giant Screen/IMAX Awards, won Best Immersive 3D Film at the Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival, and is one of the most successful and honoured films of this decade; current releases now include, the award-winning and acclaimed Amazon Adventure and Backyard Wilderness. It was an unusual, blended family of constant activity, a strong sense of life's ironies and profound closeness including with his two step-sons, Scott and Tyler Mifflin and with his son, Alex Mifflin and daughter, Caleigh Barker who all live in Toronto and with daughter, Georgia Barker of NYC. Whether working creatively with Alex and Tyler on their TV series The Water Brothers; looking with admiration at Scott's designs as a 'green' builder, playing guitar and singing with Caleigh, a music composer and actress, or being proud of Georgia's achieving her goal to be an attorney, Jonathan cared deeply that his children find love and a fulfilling career. Whether it was observing the waves crash against the ancient rocks and the windswept pines, spotting bears swimming between the islands or majestic bald eagles flying overhead, Jonathan felt Georgian Bay was his spiritual home. And the waters that flow through there are the same waters that flow from his birthplace of Chicago, past his Toronto home in the Beaches and eventually through the St. Lawrence and past Montreal where he grew up. There is no better way to honor Jonathan's remarkable legacy than to give back to the Great Lakes and in particular to the work of Georgian Bay Forever, including scientific research to protect this important freshwater ecosystem. The family is grateful to the staff at Princess Margaret Hospital and the Marsden Centre and to the love and support of all who are honouring Jonathan. There will be a Celebration of Life event for him at a later date, with details on the SK Films' website.