My dear friend Darren Barefoot passed away on Feb 20, 2023. He was young.
There are so many things I learned from him, without knowing I was learning.
- To unapologetically embrace your quirks
- To know when to engage and when to disengage
- To appreciate getting down to business
- To practice self care
- To get on with it
- To show up
- To be the adult in the room (or designate one)
He was smart, funny, caring, inquisitive, kind. He once described himself as “sort of geeky, but with a lot of friends.” So true.
I have been introduced to the tech community, the nonprofit circles, the Irish friends, the DND guys, the theatre crew, the family … there are so many Venn diagrams of awesome.
He always made me chuckle. From presentations on profundity to taxidermy to more serious campaigns on climate action, Darren enjoyed himself. He made time to be amused. He found joy, he created joy in the world. I will miss him.
A friend reminded me of something he once said in response to a question about what was next in his life, “above all else, I want to live an interesting life.”
He did just that. You can see it clearly in his words, images, videos of him speaking. That’s not all he left us.
Darren did remarkable work in the nonprofit space and was especially committed to environmental sustainability.
Darren was a firm believer in mentorship, education, advocacy and environmental protection. There is a fund set up in his honour: Darren Barefoot Legacy Fund (Vancouver Foundation). The fund will offer support to the next generation of marketing professionals dedicated to climate action.
Goodbye, for now, my friend.
