Born in Regina, Carman spent the first 18 years of his life growing up in Craik, Saskatchewan. Surrounded by his parents and older sister of 12 years, Carman enjoyed life in the small town, playing all manner of sports, attending dances and being entertained occasionally by his father’s friend and future Prime Minister, John Diefenbaker.

Not able to afford University or take over a family farm, Carman was considering what his future would look like when the local branch manager encouraged him to work for the Royal Bank. And so, at the age of 19, Carman began a career at the Royal Bank that spanned 45 years, taking him first to Wapella and Weyburn, Saskatchewan and, in 1963, to BC.

It was in BC that Carman met and married Margery (Marney), the love of his life.

It was also in BC that Carman and Marney raised their three daughters, Karen, Nancy and Sarah. Beginning with their competitive swimming careers, Carman could not have been more proud of his three daughters. For years, despite working long hours at the bank, Carman drove Marney and the girls all over the Okanagan to attend weekend swimmeets, packing into tiny hotel rooms across the province and spending the days in soggy clothes timing the swimmers’ races.

Carman’s pride grew further as he watched his daughters progress through high school, on to the University of BC for their undergraduate degrees and then to their respective schools for their postgraduate degrees. And finally, as they began and thrived in their careers. If you happened to meet Carman while he was out with one of his daughters, you would undoubtedly have been immediately introduced to her, and provided with her most recent accomplishment, despite her embarrassment as she stood close by.

Carman’s career with the Royal Bank took the family to more than seven towns, and the girls to ten elementary and high schools, in BC. It was in their final destination of Richmond that Carman found the most pleasure, in Asian Banking at the historical Main & Hastings branch. There, Carman had the opportunity to mentor many young colleagues, including many women. Those colleagues remained lifelong friends to Carman.

Following his retirement from the Royal Bank, Carman started volunteering, first at the Richmond General Hospital in BC and, following their move to Toronto in 2013, at St. Michael’s Hospital. Carman loved interacting with the doctors, nurses, staff, patients and visitors. His favourite times were when he would bump into his son-in-law, then a physician at St. Michael’s Hospital, prior to the pandemic. He was sad to have to stop volunteering during the pandemic, and sadder still when he was unable to return following the pandemic because of his failing health. All told, Carman volunteered more than 5,400 hours over 15 years. In addition to giving his time so generously, he also gave of his self. He was a regular donor of blood and platelets to the Canadian Red Cross making more than 100 donations. These selfless gifts undoubtedly made a significant impact on the health of his fellow Canadians.

In addition to volunteering, Carman enjoyed time with his four grandsons. In each grandson he found a shared passion, whether it be history, baseball or flight. When his two eldest grandsons turned 19, Carman loved to share a weekend beer with one or both of them – at the local pub or sitting on the deck of his and Marney’s condominium.

Sadly, Carman suffered a fall and broke his hip on October 3, 2024. Whether he was in the hospital, the rehabilitation centre or at home, Carman was never alone. With Marney and one of his daughters always with him, he told many stories about his 84 years, surprising everyone with new stories every day. Unfortunately, his rehabilitation did not go as planned and Carman gradually declined following surgery, passing away in his sleep at home with his beloved Marney by his side on December 3, 2024.

To celebrate his life, Carman’s family invites you to make a donation to the Dr. Rob Sargeant Fund for General Internal Medicine (link below), through the St. Michael’s Hospital Foundation, a fund created in his late son-in-law’s name, to support the hospital they both loved.