Less than a year after Fred Mayor and his wife Myrna were named Morden's Citizens of Distinction for 2023 by the Morden Area Foundation for over 5 decades of contributions, Fred passed away last week, on April 3rd.
He had a long-standing history as a Morden Elk member.
Current Morden Elk exalted ruler (or president) Henry Penner explained his involvement in the organization that started in Morden in 1963, is up to 80 members with ten more to be added shortly and has raised over $400,000 for community projects over the years.
"Every organization has people that really make a difference, and Fred is one of those with the Elks. He joined in 1968. He was named the Elk of the Year in 1969, and he went on to be the Exalted Ruler in 1973 and been very involved. He's quite a talented man. He would play piano, and of course there was never just a normal piano, it was ragtime piano. So, we would have all sorts of (fun) for installations and initiations and special events. He would be playing his piano, and it was kind of a neat thing to do."
Up until his passing, Mayor was serving as the treasurer for the lodge and maintained the membership list.
"Fred had a wealth of knowledge about all sorts of people all over the Pembina Valley. He knew people, and that always came in handy because if you were looking for somebody to do something, he had all that information in his head and he could just relay it to you, and away we would go. There's always trouble filling certain things, especially this treasurer position, it takes somebody with the talent to be able to do that, and he always had these things that he could just easily do and was part of it."
Morden 2023 Citizen of the Year with his wife Myrna
According to Morden’s 2023 Citizen of Distinction nomination submission from Sharon Deveson and Rick Britton the Mayors’ years of service permeated Morden.
"One would be hard pressed to find a corner of the community that has not been impacted by Fred and/or Myrna’s volunteer efforts, as giving back is at the core of who they are.” listing the many contributions over the last fifty years.”
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The nomination form described more of Mayor’s involvement.
" Fred has been an active member of the Elks since joining in 1968, holding executive positions and sharing his time and talent in the organization of many special events including the July 1 Sports Day, Jam Can curling and the Corn and Apple Festival Barbeque. As a member of the Royal Canadian Legion, Fred has chaired the Sick & Visiting Committee. Fred sat on the Board of Directors of Tabor home for 12 years. He was an active member of the Lion’s Club in the 80s and 90s."
He was currently serving on the Morden Activity Centre board. He and his wife Myrna were faithful and active members of the St. Paul’s United Church and had logged many miles driving cancer patients to appointments in Winnipeg through South Central Cancer Resource.
A faithful servant
"He was a fine gentleman and never looked for recognition." Penner shared.
"In all sorts of organizations, he was just one of those guys. He didn't have any airs about him. He wasn't trying to be more than what he was. What he was is monumental. I've been involved with the Elks for a number of years, and there's certain people that have contributed to our lodge that are very noticeable for many years after they pass away. Everybody says the water kind of fills in, but there's always a big hole when some people leave, and you try to replace them and it's not quite the same. He's one of those guys." adding with a sigh, "I'm going to miss him, miss him quite a bit."
In his email to the Elks membership, Penner said there is a tradition for when members leave their post which he carried on for Mayor.
"Whenever somebody leaves their post or retires, now he's left his post as second as the Treasurer and the membership chairman, we have this saying, 'Well done, thou good and faithful servant.' Because he just was so involved.'
Penner added thoughtfully, "It fits." When thinking about these words describing his friend and fellow Elk member.
Click here for a full obituary for Fred Mayor.
A celebration of Fred Mayor's life will be held at the St Paul's United Church at 2pm on Wednesday, April 9th.