Irwin Barker
Irwin Barker(June 13, 1952 – June 21, 2010) was aCanadiancomedian and writer. He wrote forThis Hour Has 22 MinutesandThe Rick Mercer Report,and was nominated for fourGemini Awardsas a writer and one as stand-up performer for his 2005 performance at theHalifax Comedy Festival.Barker was also nominated for three Writers' Guild of Canada Screenwriter's awards, and won the award in 2008. He was a regular writer and contributor forCBC Radio'sThe Debaters.
In June 2007, Barker was diagnosed withleiomyosarcoma,a rare type of terminal cancer. He joked that his doctor had given him twelve months to live, "but my lawyer says he can get it down to eight".
After his diagnosis, he was active as an inspirational speaker on how he used humour as a vital coping mechanism in his personal fight against cancer. He was a headline performer at numerous cancer fundraisers, as well as a keynote speaker for conferences dealing with cancer andpalliative care.
His first year of cancer treatment was the subject of aCTVdocumentary entitledThat's My Time.The documentary debuted at the 2008Atlantic Film Festivaland was nationally televised in September 2008.
Reactions to Barker's presentations on comedy and cancer were overwhelmingly positive. In Barker's own words. "Cancer has my body but not my spirit, and I'll continue to make jokes, not so much about cancer, but in spite of it."[citation needed]
He died in Toronto on June 21, 2010, shortly after his 58th birthday, from his cancer.[1]
References
[edit]- ^"Comedic sharpshooter Irwin Barker dies".montrealgazette.com. Archived fromthe originalon 24 June 2010.Retrieved14 May2014.
External links
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- 1956 births
- 2010 deaths
- Canadian comedy writers
- Canadian male screenwriters
- Deaths from cancer in Ontario
- Deaths from leiomyosarcoma
- Canadian Comedy Award winners
- 20th-century Canadian screenwriters
- 20th-century Canadian male writers
- 21st-century Canadian screenwriters
- 21st-century Canadian male writers
- Canadian male television writers
- Canadian male comedians
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