Obituary of Wayne Benson

Bernard ‘Wayne’ Benson passed away peacefully with family by his side on April 17^th, 2025 at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton.

Right from day one, Wayne was always seeking adventure. He was born during a heavy snow storm on April 30^th,1953 in Acadia Valley, Alberta to Bernard ‘Ben’ and Ruby Benson. The snow storm made the roads impassible so he was born right in the farm house. After the storm settled, they were able to fly a nurse to the farm to ensure that he and Ruby were well. He always had fond memories of growing up on the farm with his brother, Dell and sister, Laurel. Growing up on the farm gave Wayne space to grow his passion for mechanics, fast cars, motorcycles, and snowmobiles. He was always building and tinkering and enjoyed convincing his younger siblings to test his great ideas. 

Wayne attended elementary and junior high school in Acadia Valley and graduated from South Central High School in Oyen. After graduation, Wayne headed off to Calgary where he earned is Automotive Service Technician Diploma from the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology. He enjoyed telling stories of his crazy college days where he took pride in winning many drag races against his classmates and lived off instant mashed potatoes and Peter’s Drive In burgers. During this time, he thought he would earn extra money pumping gas but that didn’t last long as he quickly realized that he could make more money betting on these drag races. Wayne also grew his love for skiing when he started working at Paskapoo Ski Hill (now Canada Olympic Park) in Calgary tuning skis and teaching the odd ski lesson.

After completing his automotive diploma, Wayne moved back to Oyen where he purchased Big Country Alignment from his mentor, Bill Connors, in 1974. At the age of 21, he started his own automotive business, Wayne’s Alignment.

Later that year, Wayne met his soon to be wife, Faye. She was travelling to Oyen to visit her parents when her 1969 MG car broke down and he came to her rescue. The story goes that it took Wayne five or six tries before he was able to fix her car and for anyone that knows his mechanical abilities it makes you wonder if he was delaying the repair on purpose. After a whirlwind romance, they were married on August 9^th, 1975. Over the next few years, they welcomed their children Jason and Jackie.

Throughout this time, Wayne decided to combine his love for his business and his passion for racing when he began selling Can-Am and Suzuki motorcycles as well as Ski-Doo snowmobiles out of his automotive shop. He had a lot of success racing snowmobiles for Ski-Doo in the winter, and motorcross racing with his beloved Can-Am motorcycle in the summer.

Wayne strongly valued serving the communities in which he lived. In 1974, he joined the Kinsmen Club of Oyen as well as the Oyen Fire Department where he later shared his passion for teaching when he took on the role of Training Officer. He was promoted to Deputy Fire Chief of the Oyen Fire Department in 1981.

 In 1980, he and his friend, Ken Miller, started the Big Country Stock Car Association in Oyen and he added car racing to his resume.

After a few years, he got out of the snowmobile and motorcross business and focused on expanding his automotive service centre.  He moved Wayne’s Alignment to a larger building at the north end of main street in Oyen, where he continued to be a main provider of automotive services for the community. He was well known for his mechanical expertise, the ability to diagnose engine problems just by sound, and having the natural ability of being able to repair nearly anything. Having a larger shop meant that Wayne also had more space to work on his stock cars. He spent many years racing stock cars and IMCA cars in Medicine Hat, Saskatoon, and Calgary.

In the mid-80’s, Wayne started his announcing career by announcing at the Acadia Valley Mud Fling. He continued to announce mud race and truck and tractor pull events throughout Alberta and Saskatchewan for the Canadian Mud Racers Organization and the Prairie Pulling League. He was also fortunate to guest announce at trick motorcycle riding events in Alberta, drag races at Rad Torque Raceway (formerly Castrol Raceway) in Edmonton, and a monster truck show at Rexall Place, also in Edmonton. He really enjoyed getting the crowds involved, sharing his knowledge, and forming lasting friendships. He was really looking forward to this year being his 40th year as an announcer.  

During Wayne’s final years at Wayne’s Alignment, he expanded his passion for teaching by working with South Central High School to incorporate an automotive course into the work experience program. He really enjoyed sharing his knowledge with the young, enthusiastic students.

In 1989, he closed his automotive business and switched careers becoming an oil field operator for BP Canada in Sibbald. During this time his own racing came to a halt while he shifted focus to his new career in the oil patch and to supporting his kids with their endeavours.

BP Canada was purchased by Talisman Energy in 1993. Wayne continued to work as an operator for Talisman Energy in Sibbald until 1998 when he took the opportunity to transfer to Pigeon Lake, Alberta. With both children now attending post secondary schools, Wayne and Faye were enticed by the opportunity to move to a place where many people vacation. 

After a few months of getting settled in Mulhurst Bay, Wayne decided that it was time to start getting involved in the community again. He joined the Mulhurst Bay Fire Department as Deputy Fire Chief in 1999 and was quickly promoted to Fire Chief, a position that he held for the next 14 years. In 2015, he became Fire Chief of the South Pigeon Lake Fire Department. He continued to hold that position until his passing.

Through his time as fire chief in the Pigeon Lake area, Wayne became passionate about firefighter recruitment and training and spear headed a water rescue program. His goal was to ensure that the safety personnel in the area were able to serve the local population to the best of their abilities. He really enjoyed being a part of the emergency services family, and spending additional time on projects that would benefit the fire department.

Wayne continued to work for Talisman Energy as a Project Lead until his retirement from the company in 2009. He quickly realized that retirement was not for him as he always got a lot of personal satisfaction through his work achievements. He then began working for his friend, Claude Fortier, helping him with his welding business. Wayne decided that he wanted to continue to use his oilfield knowledge, so he went back to work as an oilfield consultant for Foley Inspection Services and then Tyran. Throughout this time, he worked on projects for several large corporations. For the past few years, Wayne really enjoyed picking up a variety of projects with Parsons as a Field Supervisor. 

Wayne always had a zest for adventure. He loved long motorcycle trips through the mountains, camping, alpine skiing, water skiing, snowmobiling, sky diving, hang gliding, riding the Sea Doo, boating and trying to dump everyone off the tubes that dared to try and hang on while he was driving. If it got his heart pumping, he was hooked!

To Wayne it did not matter whether you spent your life in a suit as the head of a large corporation or in dirty coveralls as a labourer. Clothes and personal possessions did not matter to him. He always saw the best in others and endeavoured to spend his life surrounded by honest, hard-working people from all walks of life.

Wayne was a loving husband, father, grandfather, brother and uncle. He leaves to mourn his devoted wife of 49 years, Faye; children, Jason (Stephanie) Benson and Jackie (Jordon) Meaver; grand-children, Colten (Rhianna), Tyvan (Mykenzie), Declan, Brody, and Spencer; brother, Dell (Betty) Benson; sister, Laurel (Rob) Clarke: numerous in-laws, nieces, nephews and other extended family.

Wayne was predeceased by his parents Ben and Ruby Benson; father-in-law and mother-in-law, Wesley and Alice Gordon; infant sister, Linda; sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Joyce and Albert Gader; brother-in-law, John Gordon; and sister-in-law, Kathy Carmicheal.

He will be greatly missed by those who’s lives he touched. We will miss his constant presence in our lives, his sense of humour, his creativity, his sense of adventure, his unwavering support, and the reliable safety net that he always provided knowing that no matter what he would be there for those that he cared about.

A Service of Remembrance will be held at the Ma-Me-O Beach Community Hall at 1:00pm on Friday, May 9^th, 2025. A Celebration of Life will also be held at the Acadia Valley Community Hall at 1:00pm on Saturday, May 10^th, 2025. Wayne will be laid to rest at the Acadia Valley Cemetery following the service on May 10^th.  

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Wayne’s name to the South Pigeon Lake Fire Department, the Mulhurst Bay Fire Department, or the Oyen Fire Department.

A recording of the Ma-Me-O Beach service is now posted