Kenneth BarrieSMITHResiding at Gonerby Hill Foot, Grantham, Lincolnshire, passed peacefully at home on June 6, 2025. Barrie was “born and bred” to Arthur and Ivy (nee Gibson) Smith at the Poperinghe Nursing Home in Cottingham, East Riding, Yorkshire. Barrie received a General Certificate of Education from Cottingham County Secondary School in May 1958. He chose the path of horticulture. At sixteen, he left home for a job as a “Boy Gardener” at the Bishop Burton College’s walled garden and greenhouses, preparing himself for future studies by attending evening horticultural lectures. From 1960-1961, Barrie undertook a course of theoretical and practical education at Askym Bryan Institute of Agriculture in York. He earned a National Certificate with Credit in Horticulture, July 1961, passing requisite written and practical examinations of the Royal Horticultural Society in Division II. After graduation, he worked for the York Parks Department, out of the Museum Gardens. Barrie returned to Askym Bryan Institute of Agriculture working for their commercial organisation, in charge of glasshouses producing cucumbers, tomatoes and chrysanthemums, as well as giving practical tuition to students. He met Jean Thompson, of Copmanthorpe, York, whom he married in 1966. Making their home in Grimsby and then Scartho, Humberston, as in 1965 he moved into commercial processing vegetable production, becoming an Assistant Field Trials Officer for Findus Foods, Grimsby. Later becoming Field Trials Superintendent, expanding the regional programs on farms from 3 to 6 acres and setting up the Waltham Agricultural Department. Barrie was responsible for planning, supervising trial planting, evaluation and harvesting of peas, French beans, Brussels sprouts, broad beans, carrots, calabrese, parsley, swedes and marrows. After sixteen years of exceptionally demanding work, Findus implemented redundancies companywide. By then, Barrie and Jean had two young children, Caroline and Alexander. Barrie and another ex-Findus employee, started their own company, SONITH Technical Services, offering contracts to private vegetable seed and pesticide companies. Barrie’s work so impressed Royal Sluis Seed Company, of Enkhuizen, Holland, they offered him a new position as Vegetable Technical Manager for Royal Sluis, Ltd. UK. After nine years of providing trials data to breeders and sales and creating technical bulletins and catalogues, Barrie was again made redundant. He was offered a new position as Product Development Manager, for Petoseed, covering development, research and sales in the UK. After company buyouts, Petoseed was merged with Royal Sluis and Asgrow becoming Seminis Vegetable Seeds. Barrie’s titles and responsibilities changed holding positions as Petoseed European Product Manager Dry Seeds and Seminis Vegetable Seeds Product Manager Rooted for Europe and the Middle East. He was in charge of onion, carrot and all rooted species’ market analysis, varietal evaluations and promotion to sales, and sales and seed production forecasts, traveling extensively in Europe, the Middle East and the United States. The intense travel and work over the years, however, took its toll on family life, ending his many years with Jean.
In a new chapter of his life, Barrie married Carole (nee Rackowski) Noeller from New York state, USA in 1999. Beginning a new life together in Grantham, Lincolnshire until again caught up in a worldwide company redundancy one year after their new marriage. PGRO, Processors and Growers Research Organisation, Thornhaugh, Cambridgeshire, created a position for him, as a Senior Technical Officer. He spent nine years expanding PGRO’s research to include carrot and onion variety evaluations, including carrot Cavity Spot screening, edamame, flageolet and French bean varietal evaluations, precision pea drilling trials, PCGIN evaluations of exotic pea species, research for labelling of garlic granules for carrot and parsnip nematode control and implementation of variety demonstration plots for Syngenta. Barrie was “encouraged” to retire from PGRO, but started another company, KBS International Horticultural Consultancy Services. Settling into a long time relationship with Pro-Veg Seeds, Ltd., Sawston, Cambridgeshire, in 2010, as a consultant working in product development and sales. Working with all of Pro-Veg’s product line, Barrie returned to flowers in trialling, promoting and selling commercial cut sunflower varieties. Also with alliums, leading to evaluation, development and seed production and sales responsibilities for eschallion, bulb and bunching onions. A major responsibility was working with the breeder and sales team, in developing Pro-Veg’s patio tomato program. Meticulous evaluations and responsibility for seed production forecasts have led to success. Barrie created Pro-Veg’s new logo and wrote and compiled their seed catalogues and species brochures. Attention to detail and conscientiousness led to production of many beautiful catalogues. Barrie had great success in designing, organising and developing Pro-Veg’s Demonstration Plots at Soham, for fourteen years. This unique 1.5 acres is a “Living Catalogue,” featuring many of Pro-Veg’s new and current varieties over many species with the challenge to bring them to simultaneous maturity. It is not undeniable that Barrie’s vast experience, attention to detail and knowledge have made this an artistic and beautiful horticultural summation of his long career.
Barrie was a keen squash player and member of the Scartho Squash and Bowling Club, winning the Club’s Plate in 1993-1994. A member of the Society of Advanced Motorists, the Humberston School Board of Governors; Chairman for one year, and winning in 1973 a seat as a Local Parish Councillor. He was a member of HRIA and ADHB; a past member of the Walker’s Wine Bar Share Club, Grantham, and a current member of the Gonerby Hill Foot Gardening Club, working on his allotment only hours before having a cardiac arrest. He was one of a group who liked a pint and chat at Nobody’s Inn, Grantham, where he suffered his sudden arrest. He was unsuccessfully resuscitated with CPR and then successfully resuscitated with a defibrillator. Barrie was deeply grateful to the people who attempted to resuscitate him, and then successfully applied the defibrillator, as well as to the pub owner who had the foresight and generosity to buy the unit. It gave him an extra eight weeks to share his love with others.
Barrie’s work experience was vast and “old school.” He paid great attention to detailed evaluation, compilation and technical development. Ahead of his time in market trends, he was well known and respected throughout the UK commercial vegetable and seed industry. There is no doubt that he made his impact felt in the UK and beyond. These were truly his God-given gifts for which he will be remembered. Barrie was funny with a great sense of humour, fun-loving, devoted, sensitive and a faithful friend and colleague. He adored music, especially from the late 1950’s/early 1960’s. He loved holidaying in North Yorkshire and watching Heartbeat; travelling, creating beautiful and unique gardens, and his family and special friends. Barrie was an exceptionally hard worker and good provider, working from the age of sixteen and actively until his illness and passing at eighty-three. Still knowledgeable and viable in his work within his chosen industry. There are not many people who live their life fully to the end, taking such good care of their family, home and work. But then again, there just isn’t anyone quite like Barrie Smith. A much-loved, greatly cherished and missed, talented and hard-working man. God broke the unique mould when He made Barrie; and now He has called him home to rest. Barrie is survived by his wife Carole Smith, of Grantham, Lincolnshire; ex-wife Jean Smith; daughter Caroline Johnson (Darren), granddaughters Amelia and Isabella Johnson; son Alexander Harris-Smith (Sarah), grandson Max and granddaughter Ella Harris-Smith, all of Beverly, ER Yorkshire; and several cousins. Brothers-in-law Gary Rackowski (Karen Rabatin),Ballston Spa, NY; Richard Rackowski, Cape Coral, Fl; Dennis Rackowski and children: Andrew Rackowski (Rachel Kelchlin), Alissa Bogdanov (Anton), and Charles Rackowski and daughter, Clover Rackowski, all of Amsterdam, NY.
Funeral arrangements are by the H Kemp and Son Funeral Directors, Cottingham, Yorkshire HU16 4BG. A funeral service for Barrie is July 14, 11:00, at St. Mary the Virgin Church, Hallgate, Cottingham, ER Yorkshire HU16 4DD; followed by Christian burial at Cottingham Municipal Cemetery, 150 Eppleworth Road HU16 5YQ. Donations will be shared between The British Heart Foundation, for Congestive Heart Failure research, and refurbishment to reinstate the defibrillator at Nobody’s Inn, Grantham, Lincolnshire, which saved his life on April 5, 2025.
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