Robert “Bob” Marier, a well-known public figure in the community of Lavigne for many years, a former councillor and active community volunteer, passed away on June 25, at the age of 83. Born in Timmins in 1937, Bob moved to Sturgeon Falls as a young boy with his family. He met his wife, Monique Rousseau of Lavigne, and embarked on a career in the civil service spanning 32 years, primarily as a general manager with the province in fields ranging from the Ministry of Natural Resources to the London Psychiatric Hospital, according to his daughter Lisa Marier. In 1985 he moved back to West Nipissing, taking up residence in Lavigne.
Marier was particularly known for his civic engagement in the village, volunteering at the Lavigne Community Centre, the Club d’age d’or, fundraising for the church renovations, secretary/treasurer for the Knights of Columbus, taking his accounting and bookkeeping services to a variety of local committees and volunteer groups. He acted as a founding member of many local organizations, assuring that they continued and thrived. He was also a founding member of the Lockerby Royal Canadian Legion and, according to his daughter, started the process of establishing that Legion when they only had 37 cents in the bank, and later enabling them to purchase the land and build.
Lisa Marier said, “My father was known everywhere. Every time they would go to the music festivals in Quebec (wife Monique was a musician), or wherever they would go, he was known. He kept everything, all the 50/50 draws, the tournaments – running smoothly… He was a great organizer, known for those skills, and it takes people willing to work in the background to operate efficiently.”
