A Drumheller man known for his passion for family and soccer died Tuesday in Seaside, Oregon.
Jerry Brett, 53, was on a holiday on the west coast of the United States and was at the beach with family. According to Seaside officials, at 5:22 p.m., he had gone underwater. He was pulled from the water about 10 minutes later three blocks from where he was last seen. Emergency officials were not able to revive Brett.
Brett was a development officer with the Town of Drumheller before taking a position at Kneehill County, where he was director of planning and protective services. Those who worked with him and who he dealt with describe him as jovial and very professional. He was past president of the Alberta Development Officers Association.
Bob Long, Reeve of Kneehill County, knew Brett before he came to be employed by the county and considers him a good friend.
“He was a very special person and like I said ‘you will be able to replace the planner, but you will never, ever be able to replace Jerry,’” said Long.
Brett had a passion for soccer and was involved as a volunteer and coach with the Drumheller Minor Soccer Association for many years. He was a wealth of information on the subject and this year made it back on the pitch to play in the Drumheller adult coed league.
Born in England, he was a passionate fan of the Tottenham Hot Spur. Part of his recent trip to the Pacific Northwest was to see his favourite team take on the Seattle Sounders on July 19.
Tom Dooley knew Brett well through soccer and coaching. They also played together on the same team as adults.
Often family and soccer overlapped. Dooley coached Brett’s son Nicholas on a team that won the U18 provincial championship. A few years later, Nicholas passed away. Dooley noted that after each game this year Brett played, he would go to a bench dedicated to Nicholas, and sit and reflect.
“He loved his family and he was a good friend,” said Dooley.
