Robert Arthur Mayer

June 8, 1950 - August 14, 2019

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Robert (Bob) Arthur Mayer on August 14th, 2019 in Vernon, BC.

Bob was born in New Westminster, BC on June 8th, 1950 to Joffre Arthur Lucien Mayer and Lucy Aileen Ryan. In his youth he was a local hockey star, playing for several teams including the historic Vernon Essos which he captained to a BC Junior League Championship in 1969-70 while earning the league MVP. In succeeding years Bob tried out for the Vancouver Canucks before trying Minor Pro and Senior hockey in several BC cities including Cranbrook until returning to Vernon and meeting the love of his life Brenda Kulak.

After marrying Brenda, Bob worked as a Carpenter for SJ Pasechnik & Sons for 12 years before moving on to a 25-year career with School District 22. During Bobs time with SJ Pasechnik, Bob and Brenda welcomed the birth of their 2 sons Ryan and Chris.

Bob was a very kind and generous individual who often put others before himself. He enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren and his family. He could usually be found cruising around town in his truck with his dog Bannok, catching up with friends over coffee, coaching hockey, or taking his grandson on adventures after school. He will be greatly missed by his family and friends.

He was predeceased by his loving wife Brenda, his parents, and his sister Donna. He leaves behind his sons Ryan (Krystal) and Chris, his grandchildren Hudson and Emmie, and his brothers Darrell and Randy Mayer.

The family wishes to thank all the doctors and staff at the Vernon Jubilee Hospital and Hospice House for their care and compassion.

A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, September 7th, 2019 from 2 until 4 at the Schubert Center in Vernon, BC. Refreshments will be provided.

BOB MAYER MEMORIAL

Vernon Essos captain fondly remembered On a team with scoring stars, defenceman Bob Mayer was named league MVP in 1970 as Essos won BCJHL

Roger Knox Aug. 26, 2019 4:58 p.m. Local Sports

On a team 50 years ago that featured scoring stars like the late Wayne Dye, Lawrence Quechuk, John Price and Jack Marsh, it was the Vernon Essos' captain, defenceman Bob Mayer, a strong, silent type, who was named the most valuable player of the B.C. Junior Hockey League in 1969-'70.

Mayer, who led the Essos to the first of what now stands as a league-best 12 BCJHL championships in 1969-70, died Aug. 14 of cancer at age 69.

That season, Mayer scored 22 goals and added 41 assists for 63 points, fifth in team scoring and top-10 in the then-seven team league.

"He played the power play, defended well, worked harder than anybody and led the practices," said Quechuk.

"He was quiet, but he was a leader by example," added Essos teammate Jim Inglis who, along with goalie Ed Forslund, grew up with Mayer on 17th Street on Vernon's East Hill.

"It was a lot nicer playing with him than against him," said Forslund, who won a BCJHL championship the year before with the Victoria Cougars. "I've played goal my whole life and in all of the years I played, Bob had the hardest shot. That's all we did as kids was play road hockey under the street lights. He'd take shots at me, I'd take shots at him."

For Quechuk, the Vernon News beautifully captured the way Mayer played: "Since Mayer's first year of junior, he has been playing outstanding hockey. His defensive moves are impressive and his hard slap shot from the blue line brings applause from fans in every rink he plays."

Born June 8, 1950 in New Westminster, Mayer and his family moved to Lumby for one year before settling in on East Hill. He played three seasons for the Essos, 1967-'68, '68-'69 and '69-'70, his MVP season. The Essos made it to the Western Canadian final in 1970, losing in six games to Saskatchewan's Weyburn Red Wings.

"We had Wayne and Lawrence scoring goals, but Bob scored a lot from the back end," said Inglis. "To have the kind of season he did was awesome. The power play was his specialty. When the puck went back to him, you knew something good was going to happen."

Mayer joined Forslund as an overage player in Victoria in 1970-71 (Coast teams could play with overage players, Interior teams could not, said Quechuk), then tried out unsuccessfully for the NHL's Vancouver Canucks.

He tried his luck in the minor pros, in Des Moines, Iowa, but came back to Canada, as Inglis said, because "the money wasn't very good." He played some senior hockey in Port Alberni and Cranbrook before returning home to Vernon, where he worked as a carpenter, including a 25-year career with the Vernon School District.

"As an observer, Bob was a great defender. If you tried to get between him and the boards, you usually paid a price," said Graydon Brown, who played lacrosse with Mayer on the Vernon Labatts Blues, a pre-cursor to the three-time Canadian Senior B champion Vernon Tigers, in the late '60s-early '70s. Mayer impressed Brown with his lacrosse abilities.

"He played three full years with the Blues and he could score."

Sitting in with his dad's former teammates was son Chris, who hadn't heard a lot of the stories being bandied about in a conference room.

"He was a very good dad," said Chris. "He always took us to sports, he provided for us and he was quiet. He fathered like he captained the Essos: he would tell us to not show all of our cards; never show everything so you can surprise some people when they come out."

Mayer is survived by sons Chris and Ryan (Krystal), two grandchildren and two brothers. He was predeceased by his wife, Brenda, and sister Donna.

A celebration of life for Mayer will be held Saturday, Sept. 7, from 2-4 p.m. at the Schubert Centre.

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