Tennis Canada was saddened by the news of the passing of long-time wheelchair tennis player and advocate of the sport, Barry Butler.
Butler played wheelchair tennis at the provincial, national and international level, where he reached a career-high ranking of no. 154 in the ITF rankings. He retired from the sport in 2012, playing in his last international tournament at home in Ottawa.
He served as the long-time Tournament Director of the Ottawa Capital City Wheelchair Tennis Classic and the Director of the National Capital Tennis Association.
“We are saddened to learn the news of Barry’s passing. He was a long-time wheelchair tennis player, Tournament Director and volunteer, spending countless years advocating on behalf of wheelchair sports, particularly in the Ottawa region. Our thoughts go out to his family and friends at this time,” stated Janet Petras, Director of Wheelchair Tennis at Tennis Canada.
Butler was also involved in wheelchair basketball and table tennis. In December 2019, he received an award on behalf of Table Tennis Canada for long term service and development of table tennis in Canada.
Our thoughts are with Butler’s family and friends during this difficult time.
