Mervin Pauch

Mervin “Merv” Pauch, 67, of Portage la Prairie, passed away at home on March 8, 2021 from pancreatic cancer.

Merv was born April 2, 1953 to Mildred and Julian Pauch. He grew up on their farm where he learned many of his lifelong characteristics like patience, hard work and a can do attitude.

"Swervin Mervin" graduated from Arthur Meighen High School in 1970. He then became a journeyman carpenter.

In 1979, he and Jonnette Kitson became life partners. They had three children, Glen, Jamie and Jay.  Merv was devoted to his wife and children. He was extremely proud of his family. In 2013, Glen married Tawnia, who Merv loved very much. In 2016, his granddaughter Cora transformed an amazing dad into "Super Ampa". Their very special relationship was a joy to us all. Merv had endless patience with children and was a master hide and seek player with Cora.

He was a man who could fix or build anything. He was known for his thoroughness and attention to detail; both in his professional and personal life. If he was teaching you how to do something he would make sure you always "did the math" and "figured it out". He was proud of his work and of his longevity in the field; in case you didn’t know he was “only in the industry for 50 years!”

He loved to spend time fixing things for his family, such as a child's toy or bike just to see them smile. One of his greatest accomplishments was renovating a small cabin at Delta into a home that became a gathering place for family and friends.

He loved the lake and enjoyed spending time on it in both summer and winter, especially to fish. He was passionate about cars and he would share his knowledge with anyone who would listen.  Merv always looked forward to the annual family tradition of going to the Thresherman's Reunion in Austin. His interest in learning about history and economy sparked many lengthy conversations.

Merv's zest for life and humor was well known to anyone who met him. He always had time to talk and had a joke ready for any situation. He had a smile on his face at a large gathering and also enjoyed quiet time with his family. He was quite the host and made sure you never ran out of food or drinks. After many years of hard work he enjoyed traveling, especially to see his children living abroad. Even with everything that was going on he held on to his sense of fun.

Cancer did not define Merv's final year of life; love and kindness did. Love of family and friends and the kindness of health care professionals and new acquaintances. The way his family cared for him was a heartbreakingly beautiful declaration of love.

Merv was predeceased by his father, Julian, in 1981 and his mother, Mildred, in 2010. Merv is survived by Jonnette, Glen, Tawnia and Cora, Jamie and Jay. He is also survived by his loving brother and sister, Leanne (Armand) and John (Shelley).

Donations are gratefully appreciated and may be made to the United Way Central Plains, Box 953 Portage la Prairie, MB R1N 3C4, The Gems of Mazatlan, 1540 Deerside Road SE Calgary, AB T2J 5N2 or a charity of your choice.

In lieu of a funeral, we are planning a party on the beach at Delta this summer to honor Mervin.

A slideshow of memories of Merv is viewable below this obituary.

A tree will be planted in memory and cared for by McKenzies Portage Funeral Chapel.  www.mckenziesportagefuneralchapel.com