We want to celebrate the life of Merv Bauman who was born on August 24, 1947, and passed away at the age of 77, on Monday, September 16, 2024.

Merv was born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, and spent his early years on the family farm near Cudworth. This would begin his lifelong love for “playing in the dirt” and passion for growing all things. If you could find him where he wanted to be he would be combining wheat, picking apples, grooming some gravel, or making some dirt black somewhere.

In 1973, he met Kaye McQuaig, his perfect match, at the Grande Prairie Motor Inn cabaret, and they were married on June 14, 1974. Their daughter Jennifer arrived on November 18, 1974. In 1976, in true Merv fashion, he quit his job and started his own business even though he had a young family to support. Leyman Distributors Ltd. was a hose and hydraulic business that grew to success very quickly and continued for 47 years. Merv always credited Kaye for never standing in the way so that he could take a risk in business, farming, and life. This support and teamwork is why they were such a success. On October 8, 1977, their daughter Angie was born, and their family was complete on March 5, 1982, when their son Scott arrived.

Merv’s musical family began his lifelong passion for playing the guitar. He was self-taught, could play anything by ear, and was always so proud that his band playing days could help support his family in the early years of Leyman’s. He played with so many amazing musicians over the years. He loved Wayne Gretzky and the 80’s era Edmonton Oilers. His love for hockey provided him so much fun and excitement throughout his life from the North Country Stars and the Grande Prairie Storm, to the 2024 Oilers Cup run. He loved watching barrel racing, rodeo, and chuckwagon racing.

A John Deere snowmobile and a little red Corvette in the 70’s began a need for speed that lasted all of his years. He bought his first muscle car, a 1970 Chevelle, in 1995 and he and Kaye began one of his favourite lifetime adventures of driving many special cars home from the US. If you were lucky enough to experience a tour of Merv’s Classic Cars, you would have heard and seen the fun and passion he had for every one of the 37 cars he owned. The last 5 of his favourites were just recently sold to Yesterday’s Auto Gallery in Edmonton and are proudly on display there.

He will be missed so much by Kaye, his wife of 50 years; his daughter Jennifer, son-in-law Rick, grandchildren Shayla and Hudson; his son Scott, daughter-in-law Amber, grandchildren Hayley, Aiden, Hayden, and Emmett; his sisters Sandra and Charlotte; brothers, Leon (Roberta) and Larry; and many nieces and nephews; A special thanks to Lamont Anderson, his friend and business partner for 46 years, and to Gary Mitchell, his long-time friend and muscle car mechanic.

Anxiously awaiting him in Heaven are his daughter, Angie, his big sister Deanna, his Mom and Dad, and his brother Wayland.

Merv’s request was not to have a funeral but to be cremated and have his ashes scattered in a special place privately.

Memorial donations may be made to Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities (https://jumpstart.canadiantire.ca/pages/donate), Merv would want every child who wanted to play hockey to be able to play.