ark er ▁( J une ▁ 1 3 , ▁ 1 9 5 2 ▁– ▁June ▁ 2 1 , ▁ 2 0 1 0 ) ▁was ▁a ▁Canadian ▁com ed ian ▁and ▁writer . ▁He ▁wrote ▁for ▁This ▁H our ▁Has ▁ 2 2 ▁Min utes ▁and ▁The ▁Rick ▁Mer cer ▁Report , ▁and ▁was ▁nominated ▁for ▁four ▁Gem ini ▁Awards ▁as ▁a ▁writer ▁and ▁one ▁as ▁stand - up ▁perform er ▁for ▁his ▁ 2 0 0 5 ▁performance ▁at ▁the ▁Hal if ax ▁comedy ▁Festival . ▁B ark er ▁was ▁also ▁nominated ▁for ▁three ▁Writ ers ' ▁Gu ild ▁of ▁Canada ▁Screen writer ' s ▁awards , ▁and ▁won ▁the ▁award ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 8 . ▁He ▁was ▁a ▁regular ▁writer ▁and ▁contrib utor ▁for ▁C BC ▁Radio ' s ▁The ▁Deb aters . ▁ ▁In ▁June ▁ 2 0 0 7 , ▁B ark er ▁was ▁diagn osed ▁with ▁le iom y os ar com a , ▁a ▁rare ▁type ▁of ▁terminal ▁cancer . ▁He ▁j oked ▁that ▁his ▁doctor ▁had ▁given ▁him ▁twelve ▁months ▁to ▁live , ▁" but ▁my ▁lawyer ▁says ▁he ▁can ▁get ▁it ▁down ▁to ▁eight ". ▁ ▁After ▁his ▁diagn osis , ▁he ▁was ▁active ▁as ▁an ▁inspir ational ▁speaker ▁on ▁how ▁he ▁used ▁hum our ▁as ▁a ▁vital ▁cop ing ▁mechanism ▁in ▁his ▁personal ▁fight ▁against ▁cancer . ▁He ▁was ▁a ▁head line ▁perform er ▁at ▁numerous ▁cancer ▁fund rais ers , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁a ▁ke yn ote ▁speaker ▁for