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Lyle Bauer was a hall of fame athlete, a respected football executive, and a charitable force that improved the lives of thousands.
“He was a difference maker, and he lived his life that way,” said former Winnipeg Blue Bombers offensive lineman David Black, who played six seasons beside Bauer.
“I’m proud of everything he did and accomplished through a lot of adversity.”
Known as one of the toughest blockers in CFL history, Bauer helped the Blue and Gold hoist the Grey Cup on three occasions (1984, 1988, and 1990).
He earned that same respect in the front office as an assistant general manager (1992-94) and later president and CEO (2000-09) when he brought some much needed stability on and off the field to the Winnipeg Football Club.
His biggest impact came away from the gridiron when he co-founded the Never Alone Cancer Foundation (NACF) in 2004 shortly after being diagnosed with Stage 4 throat cancer. For two decades, the organization has helped individuals affected by cancer with emotional, financial and informational support.
Bauer, who lived in B.C. near Slocan Lake, died earlier this week at 65 with his family by his side.
“He made use of his time here,” said Bauer’s daughter Danni, who lives in Calgary. Bauer and his wife Heidi also have two sons, Wesley and Brodie.
“He’s done so much. The stuff he did with the Bombers was amazing,...