David Michael Barkway

Personal Friend and "One of the Boys"

David Barkway of Toronto was travelling in New York on business with his pregnant wife and was on the 105th floor of the World Trade Center when American Airlines Flight 11 hit. He has not been heard from since.

His wife, who was expecting the couple's second child, was not at the World Trade Center and his two-year-old son James was back in Toronto with Grandparents.

He was a rising star in the Toronto financial world, but David Barkway, a managing director of BMO Nesbitt Burns, the Bank of Montreal's investment firm, was not all business. He was known on Bay Street in Toronto for his determination to improve his golf game, his cigars and his practical jokes. Colleagues would return from lunch to find a flashing message on their computer screen that was impossible to delete. He became engaged in 1996 on a ski slope, presenting a diamond ring to Cindy McLennan after they had both taken a spill in the snow.

Mrs. Barkway, who is pregnant with the couple's second child, accompanied her husband on his final business trip to New York and was on her way to SoHo when the World Trade Center was attacked. Mr. Barkway, 34, had an appointment at Cantor Fitzgerald.

If the baby is a girl, Mrs. Barkway said, she will have to name her Zoe. "That's the name my husband wanted," she said, "I wasn't that keen on it, but he's going to get his way."

In Greek, she recently learned, Zoe means "life."

Profile published in THE NEW YORK TIMES on October 26, 2001.

His second child turned out to be a boy and Cindy named him David Michael Barkway. I went to his memorial but could not look anybody in the eye I was so angry at the senselessness of it all. After the memorial we gathered at a friends place with his brothers and mourned the loss of one of us. It was a horrible time.

We had just partied together in June at the wedding of one of the guys from our gang. I was the last time I saw him.

I will always remember a crazy night of high school. It was the last week of our senior year and we decided to camp out on the athletic field. It was pissing rain but the beer was flowing and a good time was had by all. We decided that we would run our "final" mile around the track in our skivvies in the rain. Someone thought that it would be funny to throw our clothes on the roof of the school. I and another friend climbed to the roof to get our clothes and as we were climbing down I slipped due to the wet shingles and fell to the ground landing on a garbage can. I remember coming to with David's face looking down at me with a mix of shock and concern. We went to his apartment two blocks away (the only guy in high school we knew who had his own place ! yeah it was party central ) to get cleaned up.

After that summer we lost contact with each other for a while when everyone went off to University. But I saw David often and he was always up for a party.

I miss him and those times with the old gang. Each time the rest of us meet now, there are uncomfortable moments of silence when someone mentions his name or reminisces about a time we all know he was there.

I for one will never be the same.




A picture from the Wedding in June 2001 (David is second from the right and I am behind the camera)

edit: fixed bad link to photo

[edit on 9/9/2007 by Gools]

I am truly sorry for your loss, and the loss of a father to two young children. You should remember him fondly and not dwell on the manner of his death. Think of the good times and remember with a smile.

What a wonderful tribute Gools!

I am honoured that you would share your memories of him with us. It is obvious he had quite an impact on you - not only before his death but after as well.

Always honour his memory in living your life to its fullest potential.

That brought a serious lump to my throat. Nice tribute.

Thank you for sharing this with us,



[edit on 11-9-2004 by asala]

I feel for you and for David's family. Regardless the manner of death, it is especially hard when the person is so young and full of life. No words can take away the hurt, but hopefully over time the pain will dull.