Peter Barclay was extremely proud of his 52-year tenure at Brock University.

He spent five decades as Senior Storekeeper in what is now the Earth Sciences Department, and at the time of his 2018 retirement, was recognized as the University’s then longest-serving, ongoing employee.

Barclay passed away Saturday, April 15 at the age of 76.

“Pete may have officially been a member of the Earth Sciences Department, but he will always be remembered as a colleague and friend of the Faculty of Math and Sciences (FMS) Technical Services Shops,” says Thomas MacDonald, FMS Manager Technical Services – Electronics. “Pete worked as our Technical Shops accounts bookkeeper for many of his 50-plus years at Brock. He would join us every day at the Electronics Shop for coffee break where he would often talk about sports and corvettes, his favourite passions.”

Engaged in the social aspects of his role, Barclay never missed a “Technical Shops Christmas Lunch” and often took the lead on inviting past staff and retirees back to campus for visits. He was also a member of Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation throughout his Brock career.

But what MacDonald remembers most about Barclay were their lunchtime walks.

“Pete and I walked thousands of kilometres both inside and around the campus over many years at Brock,” says MacDonald. “I was always amazed at the number of fellow colleagues we would stop and chat with. He truly knew the Brock community.”

Those who knew him well saw Barclay as a Brock historian for his stories about working at the University’s original campus on Lockhart Drive at the bottom of the Glenridge hill.

Frank Fueten, Chair of the Department of Earth Sciences and Barclay’s last manager, agrees that an under-acknowledged aspect of more than 50 years of service is the retention of departmental and institutional memory.

“Many conversations with him started with ‘Pete, do you recall….,’” Fueten remembers fondly.

“Peter was absolutely an integral part of the Earth Sciences Department and the Faculty of Mathematics and Science,” says Fueten. “It wasn’t until soon after he retired that we began to discover how much we relied on Pete’s presence as the answer to many of our daily problems.”

Following his retirement Barclay continued to stay in regular contact with individuals within the Technical Services team, Earth Sciences Department and Brock community.

“There are many who will truly miss their special colleague and friend,” says MacDonald.

During Barclay’s final days at Niagara Health’s St. Catharines Site, his connection to Brock continued, with the University’s Nursing students part of his health-care team.

A Celebration of Life will be held Friday, April 21 at 6 p.m. at the Pleasantview Funeral Home at 2000 Merrittville Hwy., Fonthill.

Brock’s flags will be lowered to half-mast on the same day in Barclay’s honour.