ROBERTALFRED MAYER

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ROBERT (BOB) ALFRED MAYER, QC December 30, 1944 - April 5, 2016 On Tuesday, April 5, 2016 at home with family beside him, Bob left us. It was very hard "changing houses". He fought long and hard but cancer took him from this home to the next after a twenty month struggle. Bob grew up in Transcona, the son of Alfred and Dorothy Mayer, in a large extended family. He spent many summer months at the family cottage at Albert Beach and it was there that his love for the waterways of the country and the outdoor life began. Every August, including 2015, found Bob, his son Chris and other companions paddling on the rivers of Northern Manitoba, the Yukon and Northern Ontario. The other outdoor activity he shared with his family was skiing. Over the last couple of years he enjoyed seeing his granddaughter, Melanie, learn to maneuver the slopes at Mystery Mountain. The family enjoyed many trips west to ski during spring breaks. Bob also loved camping with his family. The old Jayco camper that is still road worthy (sort of) was purchased when his daughter, Laura, was one year old. She is now a mother herself with a four year old daughter and carries on the tradition of camping using the skills that her father taught her. Bob received his BA at University College and his law degree through the University of Manitoba. It pleased him that he was able to complete his education at the Law Courts Building on Broadway in 1969 rather than at the new facility on the university campus. It meant something to him to be instructed in the law in the same place where it was actually practiced. In the spring of 1968, he, along with his future law partner, Richard Whidden, travelled to Thompson to work with a single practitioner during the summer months in the booming mining town of Thompson. By the end of the summer he had fallen in love with the north its people and its beauty. Bob returned to Thompson in the early days of June in 1969 after graduation and after his marriage to Leona Smith. He never left. There were several partners over the years and the firm changed names but Mayer was always a part of the letterhead. During Bob's early years in Thompson there would not be a week when he did not travel to the remote communities of the north with the court party to provide defense for clients, often on behalf of legal aid. He loved this work, especially the days in Churchill. The stories of Bob's legal exploits over 45 years are legion. He was the longest serving lawyer in Northern Manitoba, a distinction recognized by his colleagues in June of 2015. A staunch supporter of the New Democratic Party even before he came to the north, he continued his political activity throughout his life. He never missed a campaign. He served on the Provincial Executive of the NDP for over thirty years including two terms as President. He also spent several years on the Federal Council of the party. He was active in every election campaign in Northern Manitoba including the federal campaign of 2015 while he was in treatment. His public service included his membership and leadership on the Thompson City Council for many years, the Thompson Rotary Club, the Communities Economic Development Fund, the board of the Manitoba Telephone System, the Public Utilities Board, and most recently assisting with the amalgamation of the Liquor Control Commission and Manitoba Lotteries Corporation. Bob was very proud of the work the Thompson Rotary Club did with the old Moak Lake camp and the building of the suspension bridge at Pisew Falls on the Grass River. He was named a Paul Harris Fellow by Rotary International. Bob is survived by his wife of forty-six years, Leona Mayer; his son Chris Mayer (Dyana Lavallee); his daughter Laura Mayer; granddaughters, Melanie and Emily; brothers-in-law, Fletcher Smith (Janine Carney) and Stephen McKendry-Smith (Leslie McKendry-Smith). He was predeceased by his parents and his brother, Richard Mayer. A celebration of life will be held on Monday, April 11 at the Lutheran-United Church of Thompson at 52 Caribou Road at 1:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations made be made to the Shelley Carey Trust Fund, in care of the TD bank in Thompson, Amnesty International or the Broadbent Institute. A word of explanation: the Shelley Carey Trust Fund was set up by Shelley's husband for the provision of items for patient comfort in the new chemotherapy room at the Thompson General Hospital. Shelley and Bob were co-travelers on the cancer journey.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Apr 09, 2016