Barrie man’s good deed gets international attention

Watch the video above: A Barrie man’s good deed gets international attention. Jennifer Palisoc reports. 

TORONTO – A Barrie man’s good deed is getting international attention after it was posted on Reddit.

Lee Ballantyne was eating at a Barrie, Ontario restaurant on January 8. He saw a younger couple across the restaurant, that he wrote later, reminded him of him and his wife when they were younger.

He paid for their meal and wrote them a note explaining the act:

“Hi. You don’t know me but my beautiful wife of 43 years died last week. Tonight I dined alone for the first time. You remind me of us many years ago. Please allow me to buy your dinner. Enjoy! It will put a smile on Carol’s face and make me happy… for now. Happy New Year! Lee B. Pay it forward.”

A photo of the note was posted on imgur.com and then linked to on Reddit where it quickly generated both admiration and criticism.

Many people questioned the veracity of the photo, until the man’s son, under the pseudonym Axe34, confirmed the note was indeed his father’s.

“I’m the oldest son of the man who paid for the couple’s dinner. We lost our beautiful wife and mother Jan. 30 who died at the age of 62 from complications from the chemo she was undergoing for lung cancer. I worry about dad who was married to mom for 43 years but I’m so proud he’s finding ways like this to deal with his grief. He’s an amazing dad and was — as mom put it in her last days — the best thing that happened to her. He feels the same way.”

The photo has since been featured on the American Today Show, the Australian website News.com.au, The Daily Mail Online in Britain and a German news website.