WILLIAM (BILL) MERRITT
1947 - March 25, 2014
Our Bill passed away from brain cancer on
Tuesday, March 25, 2014 at 12:15 a.m. at
Riverview Health Centre.
He was predeceased by his parents Myrtle
and Henry Merritt, father-in-law Noel
Emond, brother-in-law Robert Emond
(Bonnie), and granddaughter Vivian Bell.
He leaves behind the love of his life
Luci, children Lisa Merritt-Bell (Scott)
and Billy Merritt Jr., two granddaughters,
Grace and Violet Bell, sisters Sue Bernard
(Jean), and Janice Graham (Chris),
mother-in-law Leonie Emond-Damphousse,
sister-in-law Colette Boily (Rolly),
brothers-in-law Leo Emond (Anne), Denis
Emond (Michelle), Joseph Emond, and many
nieces and nephews.
Bill worked as Business Manager of the
Winnipeg Folk Festival for 17 years and
was a co-founder of the Winnipeg
International Children's Festival. He was
a gifted musician and singer, and also a
clever and wickedly funny songwriter who
performed on live television and radio
programs. Bill recorded or played with:
The Shags, Rick and Easy Company, Mood Jga
Jga, Rick Neufeld and Prairie Dog, Ian
Tyson, Dr. Maurice Shnider Musical
Productions, Shirley Eckhardt, Dick
Danron, Colleen Petersen, Len Udow, Danny
Donahue, Pat Riordan, Ray St. Germaine,
Tom Jackson, Shingoose, Jerry & Ziz,
Fabulous George and the Zodiacs,
Fellowship, Chocolate John, Merritt and
Co., Rocki Rolletti, Be Bop Belugas, Al
Simmons, Fred Penner, and Graham Shaw
(just to name a few).
In 1993 Bill developed a brain tumor,
which changed his life forever. He fought
the good fight for 20 years and was known
around the Brain Tumor Clinic at
CancerCare as "The Rock Star"! Bill and
Luci spent many Manitoba winters in
Ajijic, Mexico, their home away from home,
where they played, laughed, sang together,
and performed all their favourite tunes
until Bill's relapse in 2010.
Bill was one of those rare human beings
who really led by example. He never talked
about what he would do or should do; he
just went about living his life in
accordance with his values - in particular
being guided by his love for his family.
It was that quiet strength which could
always pour oil on troubled waters - he
just had a calming effect on every
situation and a unique ability to relieve
everyone's stresses with his wit.
While he was part of the "cultural life"
of Winnipeg in so many respects, those of
us closest to him never even stopped to
think of that. We just loved him and
attempting to explain why with words is
not only impossible; it runs the risk of
diminishing the affection. He was just Our
Friend Bill. In no way will Bill be
forgotten, for his impact upon those he
loved will live on forever and he will be
missed every day.
The family would like to thank the
paramedics who responded to our call, St.
Boniface ER and Palliative Unit, Riverview
Health Centre, 3 East Palliative Care Unit
(special thanks to Kate), and the
CancerCare Brain Tumor Clinic - with
special thanks to Dr. Jones, Kim
Paradowski and Oritt Reuter who helped us
through our 20 year battle. And finally,
thank you to Dr. Michael West, who gave us
one last Christmas with Bill through his
amazing work with Gamma Knife Surgery.
A CELEBRATION OF BILL'S LIFE will be held
on Thursday, April 24 at the Norwood Hotel
from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Thank you Bob
Sparrow! All are welcome. Donations on
Bill's behalf may be made to the Winnipeg
Folk Festival, Riverview Health Palliative
Care Units, and CancerCare, Brain Tumor
Clinic Winnipeg, MB. The Coutu Family in
care of arrangements: E.J. COUTU & CO.
FUNERAL DIRECTORS 680 Archibald Street
ejcoutu.com
As
published in Winnipeg Free Press on
April 12, 2014
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CHILDREN’S FESTIVAL FOUNDER
‘HAD A WONDERFUL LIFE’
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Bill Merritt, known and loved as one of
the founders of the Winnipeg International
Children’s Festival, has died.
He was also known for his involvement with
the Winnipeg Folk Festival.
Merritt, 66, died Tuesday at Riverview
Health Centre after a long battle with
cancer.
Merritt, husband of Luci and father to son
Bill Jr. and daughter Lisa, had survived a
first bout of cancer 21 years ago but was
diagnosed with a brain tumour four years
ago.
 He
was best known in the 1960s and 1970s as
the bass player for several popular bands
such as Mood Jga Jga, Fabulous George and
the Zodiacs, Be Bop Beluga, Rocky Rolletti
and Prairie Dog, among others.
“Bill was an extraordinary human being, a
man without guile, without greed, who
could make beautiful things happen,” said
Mitch Podolak, one of the founders of the
Winnipeg Folk Festival and artistic
director from 1974 to 1986. Merritt served
as general manager of the festival from
1977 to 1994.
“I’ve known a lot of people in my life,
very few like Bill Merritt,” Podolak said.
“We went to dinner three weeks ago and I
said, ‘What’s up?’ He said, ‘The doctor
said a very short time.’ I said, ‘How do
you feel about it?’ and he said, ‘I’ve had
a wonderful life.’ That’s how he felt
about it.”
Drummer Gord Osland said the pair started
playing together in 1972 with the band
Mood Jga Jga, which was formed when Greg
Leskiw came off the road with the Guess
Who and invited Merritt, Osland and
Hermann Frühm to play with him.
“Bill was a remarkable musician, he had
great ideas,” Osland said.
“He played like Paul McCartney. He played
with a pick, he had great tone and great
time,” Osland said, noting Mood Jga Jga
went to New York City and recorded its
1975 debut album with Phil Ramone and
Warner Brothers. The band stayed together
for four years and briefly reunited in the
1990s.
“We got lucky. Here’s four little punks
from Winnipeg at A&R Studios in New
York City — we had the world by the ass!
It was just incredible. That’s where we
started to play.”
Osland, also a member of Be Bop Beluga (“a
whale of a band,” he said), lives in B.C.
now but visited Merritt in Winnipeg
earlier this month when Be Bop Beluga
reunited March 15 at Riverview to play
some music for Merritt. Merritt’s wife,
Luci, sang.
Marv Terhoch had known Merritt since the
early 1970s and the two were part of the
founding board of the International
Children’s Festival in 1983. Terhoch said
Merritt was “the consummate humanitarian.”
“He cared about people and everyone around
him,” Terhoch said, noting he, Merritt,
Podolak, Drew Cringan, Osland and
Claudette Leclerc helped start the
children’s festival.
“He was thoughtful, but at the same time,
he was mischievous and had an incredible
wit about him. He’d say things and you
weren’t sure until hours later if he was
serious or kidding.”
Terhoch took Merritt to see the Winnipeg
Jets play on Feb. 27 in Cringan’s private
box and earlier this month, Terhoch was
among the friends and family present for
the Belugas’ performance.
Among Merritt’s many musical credits were
playing for well-known children’s
entertainers Fred Penner and Al Simmons.
“Bill was the perfect backup musician. He
played a solid bass and sang perfect
harmony. When called upon, he would sing a
hilarious send-up of any current pop
song,” Simmons said in an email. “We all
loved him because he was so supportive of
all of our careers.”
“Amazing how he managed to make and enjoy
music up to the end of his beautiful life.
I will miss that guy very much.”
Ashley Prest 2014
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