On March 14, 1959 in Winnipeg, Manitoba Marc came into the world as the second born of Clem & Claire Meilleur.  His older sister Darlene was a mere 13 months older.  During the next three years he would become big brother to sister Claudia (later known as Sam), brother Gerald and another sister Jacqueline.  Shortly before he entered grade 3 his family moved to British Columbia until his return to Winnipeg in late 1979.

 

Marc’s love of the game of bowling started in his youth and continued throughout his entire life.  His first job was pinsetting at the lanes that his parents owned.  He spent hours at Maillardville Lanes, cleaning, working, practicing, and practicing, and practicing some more.  But Marc utilized his time at the bowling alley for other things as well.  When the lanes were empty, he would grab the mic and sing to his heart’s content, mimicking his favourite bands and doing mashups before it was popular to do so.  He was never satisfied with the way he was coached as a young person; he believed there had to be more science to the game.  So, he took that belief and spent many years developing a technique that incorporated gravity, force, and whole body dynamics which he called gravinomycs.

 

Marc is a product of the early YBC program.  And he ended his bowling career giving back to that same program.  He loved coaching the YBC Seniors and in all the years he did so he never missed a Saturday.  He always went home talking about how proud he was of his kids.  The bowling community in Winnipeg and across the prairies will miss his eclectic and interesting personality.

 

Marc’s artistic talents started to manifest themselves at a very early age.  On the train to B.C. at the age of 8, while colouring books and crayons were good enough for the rest of his siblings, freehand drawing was the way he had to occupy himself on the long journey.  Marc also had an incredible imagination and creative genius that lent itself to unique projects.  As a teenager he created a spoof Monopoly game, which he aptly named Monotony.   Marc eventually put his art talent to canvas and in 1994 he entered one of his paintings under his artistic name Astro into the Red River Exhibition Amateur Art Show and won an award for his entry.   The remarkable thing about Marc is that all his abilities were self-taught, from his artwork to his guitar playing to his singing or any other challenge he faced.

 

Marc loved hockey, especially the Winnipeg Jets, all kinds of music, the rock band YES, golf, Tiger Woods, Bruce Lee, Cheech & Chong, Mad magazine, quantum physics, singing, playing guitar and the list goes on and on.  He had a great sense of humor and was lots of fun to have around.  Conversations with Marc would always be interesting.

 

Marc worked as a commercial painter for many years.  He loved his job; he loved the people he worked for and with.  He never, ever complained about his job.  He viewed Houston Properties as his second family.

 

Despite the fact that he spent his entire life in a bowling alley and that he had made the game his life’s passion, once he met the love of his life that all changed.  He married Karin Hiebert on January 9, 2010 and with that union came his true family.  He loved Karin with his whole being.  Her three adult children; Monika, Jason and Jasmine, embraced his charismatic and eclectic personality immediately. 

 

Marc’s heart entered a new phase when Karin’s grandchildren; Bridgid, Alexis, Mackenzie, Emily, Kade, Max and Braden became his grandchildren.  He never missed an event with them even though, because of her illness, Karin was unable to attend. The family will miss him when Jasmine gives birth to what would have been to Marc, another grandson.

 

Marc was kind, patient, generous and content.  Marc was truly a good man.

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My Love, My Life 

Marc's biggest love and number one love was the love he had for me...

I knew this with all of my heart, and soul.

He took exceptionally good care of me when I recently became ill.

Marc learned more about my disease than I did.

Marc will live in my heart forever.

I was proud to say he was MY husband.

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-Karin