C. Barry Hoffmaster

HOFFMASTER, Charles Barry (78) passed away October 26th, 2025 in Montreal. Barry was born May 17th, 1947 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania to Pauline C. Hoffmaster and J. Charles Hoffmaster. He is survived by his wife Sylvie, his son Nicolas, his daughter Samantha (Luis), his grand-children Darien and Leandro, his brother Ronald (Nancy), his nieces Erica (Ruben) and Amy (Josh), and many cousins. Barry studied at Dartmouth College and earned his doctorate in philosophy at the University of Minnesota. He immigrated to Canada where he led a distinguished career as a professor of philosophy at the University of Western Ontario. Barry was also director of the Westminster Institute for Ethics and Human Values. He published many articles and co-authored several books which advanced a more human approach to bioethics. Barry was passionate about reading and writing. His students learned to think critically and communicate effectively. Sports were always a big part of his life, from hitting wiffle balls in his backyard as a child to playing tennis in his seventies. Barry loved to travel. At conferences, he would explore in search of good food, a cold beer, and a quaint second-hand book store. A family man, he and Sylvie retired in Montreal where their son lived. Soon after, he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease - a terrible foe which he faced with courage and resilience, never losing his contagious laugh nor his broad, beaming smile. A Celebration of Life will be held at Memoria in Montreal (1120 rue Jean-Talon Est) from 2-5pm on December 29th, 2025 with a tribute at 4pm.