Obituary of Bernard Dominicus Bouma

Bernard was born in Galahad, Alberta on March 27, 1959.  He was the eldest son of Douwe “Don” and Madeline Bouma.  At a young age, they moved to Provost, Alberta where he would call home the remainder of his life.  After graduation from STA School, Bernard thought he needed to spread his wings and he left for school, but he knew that Provost and the family meat business were where he needed to be.

In 1992, Bernard met Julie Norris.  On August 14, 1993 they celebrated their wedding and have spent 30 years together building their life. They were so proud to welcome Rachel, MacKenzie, William, and Brigitte to complete their family. His greatest joy was making memories together as a family.

Bernard worked in the family business, Provost Packers with his siblings while they all attended grade school. He would later find himself working alongside his dad, Lyle and Michael for years to come. Bernard learned so much from his dad and cherished the endless hours they spent together.  Eventually, Bernard became the proud owner of the business. In 2019, his dream of an expansion and renovation became reality and in 2020, the Provost Packers as we know it today, was completed. He was passionate about serving the people of Provost and many other communities. His desire to learn more, try new recipes, research equipment and new practices in the meat industry never ended. He valued his staff and customers and always had a smile and time to visit with them. 

Bernard was a gentle, caring man with a firm handshake. He was an avid supporter of the community. He was involved in hockey from a young age until this past winter where he could still be found playing with the Old Timers. He loved following his kids to all their activities while they were growing up.  Many things brought Bernard great pleasure: fishing, camping, traveling and seeing new places, watching sports, hockey, Friday night visits with friends, golfing, and family gatherings. He was involved and served on various committees including Economic development, St. Mary’s Parish committees, Men’s Club, Chamber of Commerce, Fish & Wildlife, Provost Fire Dept and Provost Golf Course.

In March 2023, we received the devastating news that Bernard was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. He stayed strong and positive and took each day with stride. Bernard never complained and his faith never wavered despite brain surgery, treatments, and illness. On September 29, 2023, Bernard passed away at the Provost Health Centre surrounded by his loving family.

Left to mourn and carry out his legacy are his devoted wife, Julie; his loving children, Rachel (Raegan) Feser, Mac, Will, and Brigitte; mother, Madeline Bouma; brothers, Michael (Maxine) Bouma, Lyle (Shelley) Bouma and Alex (Xena) Bouma; sisters, Katherine (Bob) Tarras, Lucy (Tony) Hauck and Sandra (Duane) Austin; father-in-law, Grant Norris; brothers-in-law, Brent (Dana) Norris, Barry (Deb) Norris and Blaine (Cindy) Norris and sister-in-law, Joanie (Brad) Rice; as well as numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, great nieces, great nephews, treasured friends and devoted staff.

Bernard was predeceased by his father, Don Bouma;  mother-in-law, Maureen Norris; and infant, brother Edwin.

Mass of Christian Burial for Bernard will be held on Friday, October 6, 2023 at 10:30 a.m. at the St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church in Provost, Alberta with Father Christopher Selvaraj Rayappan SAC officiating. Slideshow of Memories will be displayed at 10:10 a.m. and Words of Remembrance will be shared at 10:20 a.m. Private Family Interment will follow.

Anticipating the communities support in attendance, for those who would like to have a seat within the Nave of the church, we kindly ask for you to arrive early. Once the church seating is full, we are inviting friends and community members to the Provost Recreation & Culture Centre for overflow seating, where the funeral will be livestreamed for everyone to be able to watch. The Bouma Family will join the community for a time of fellowship and refreshments following the Private Family Interment at the Provost Recreation & Culture Centre.

Bernard's Service will be livestreamed for those who are unable to attend in person. The livestream will be accessible through the GFH website under Bernard's obituary at the time of the service.