They only knew him for about 18 months, but that was plenty of time for Bert Haverkort to find his way into the hearts of his co-workers at Roofmart in Saskatoon.
They remember him as an everyday angel in torn blue jeans — hardworking, selfless, always ready with a smile and eager to help — the kind of guy people just can’t help liking. Not long ago, he was Employee of the Month.
As family and friends attend Haverkort’s funeral in his hometown of Markham, Ont., today, the people who knew him in Saskatoon will take a quiet moment to honour him as well.
His framed picture will hang from now on behind the desk of his boss, Dan Daoust, who spent 40 hours a week by his side. In the days after Saskatoon police found Haverkort beaten to death on Aug. 7, Daoust dealt with his own shock and grief by writing a poem about him.
"It’s been quite a sombre atmosphere here all last week and today going to work it was the first topic of conversation — and probably will be for quite some time," Daoust said in an interview.
"He was a great guy. Like I say in the poem, don’t be fooled by outward appearances. He was something else underneath all that. He just wasn’t a superficial character; he was as real as real comes. He never had a mean bone in his body, that’s for sure. He was quite the individual."
Haverkort’s roommate, 32-year-old Jake Ottertail, is on remand at the Saskatoon Correctional Centre, charged with second-degree murder in connection with his death. His next court appearance is scheduled for Aug. 24.
Police found Haverkort’s body inside the suite the two men were sharing in a house at 1012 Ave. C North. Ottertail was arrested at the scene and police have said a third man was also in the home at the time of the incident.
According to Haverkort’s family, that third man was a friend from Ontario who was looking for work in Saskatoon.
With his usual down-to-earth generosity, Bert was letting the man stay there until he got settled.
His family says Haverkort walked away and went to bed after an argument on the night he died, and was later attacked in his bed. They don’t know how to reconcile it with the upbeat way Haverkort had described his life in Saskatoon.
With rental rates at an all-time high in the city, shared accommodations were an economic necessity for him — but he never mentioned any kind of tension, Daoust said.
"I would be shocked to hear that Bert had any conflict with anybody. I mean, he just wasn’t that type of character."
Haverkort, who would have turned 47 the day after he died, kept in close phone contact with friends and loved ones in Ontario — especially his son Luke, 20, and daughter Candice, 18.
He also kept in touch with his four sisters, Ramona Kozak, Judy Lightbound, Jennifer Bowie and Christina Haverkort.
Their parents, Tom and Tina, owned a successful bakery in Markham where Haverkort held down his first part-time job at the age of 14. He later took over the business for a while, until it was sold in 1995.
After several years working for a distribution company in Markham, he found himself without a job and looking for a change of scenery.
Haverkort found warehouse work within 48 hours of arriving in Saskatoon, and seemed genuinely happy in his new city.
"We are devastated. Everything was going so well for Bert. He was the happiest he has ever been there and things were going his way," his sister Judy said.
"Bert was truly a gem and one of a kind."
Click here to read Daoust’s poem about Bert Haverkort.
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