Obituary of Gerry Baert

Gerard "Gerry" Henry Baert passed away in Lloydminster, Alberta on May 24, 2019 at the age of 70 years.

Gerry is survived by: his loving wife of fifty years, Wyn Baert; his son, Ken (Noelia) Baert and their children, daughter Danika and twin sons, Briar and Bryce; his son, Doug (Kristy) Baert and their daughter, Devry; his mother, Rita Baert; his brothers, Frank (Jeanette) Baert, Moe (Sheila) Baert and Ron Baert; his sister Brenda (John) Carr; his sisters and brothers-in-law, Pat Creech (Mac); and Gena Whiting (Ron); and numerous nieces, nephews, great nieces & nephews and cousins.

Gerry was pre-deceased by: his father, Archie Baert; his father-in-law and mother-in-law, Bernard & Mary Whiting.

The Celebration of Life for Gerry will be conducted from St. John's Anglican Church, Lloydminster, Saskatchewan on Thursday, May 30, 2019 at 2:00 PM.

Donations in memory of Gerry may be made to the Lloydminster Rescue Squad or donor's charity of choice.

Gerry's memorial card can be viewed or downloaded from the link below: 

https://indd.adobe.com/view/094dd172-8ef7-4557-89fa-bc4057d21b9d

Eulogy by Mac Creech

We are here today to celebrate the life of Gerry Baert.

Gerry was my brother-in-law. We both married Whiting girls. We used to joke to each other that we had been under exceptionally good management ever since.

Gerry Baert was born April 25, 1949 at North Battleford SK to Rita and Archie Baert. Gerry was the oldest of 4 siblings - followed by Frank, Maurice, Ron and some years later by Brenda. Rita says one of her earliest memories is taking Gerry with them to a hotel just north of Saskatoon-rather than sleep with a wiggly baby, she put him in a dresser drawer for the night, and almost forgot to take him with them the next morning!!! Today, I'm not sure what they'd do to you---but Gerry survived.

Archie and Rita farmed north of Battleford with Archie's family. Times were not easy. Rita recalled that for the better part of 6 years, Archie worked away from home leaving her to look after the family. She shared with me that she did not know what she would have done without Gerry's help. "He had to be the man of the house at a very young age."

Gerry attended the one room Glenrose county school until grade four but Gerry was always out farming with his dad. He loved tools and fixing things even at a young age. Rita says when he was 7 they bought him a new bike. The first think he did was take it all apart---she told him he'd better put it back together before Archie got home and he promptly did so without even one piece left over!!

The family moved to Lloydminster in 1960 and Gerry attended St. Thomas School. Gerry grew into a teenager in Lloyd. His first job, other than helping his dad carpenter, was as a bag boy at the Co-op Grocery. Gerry's real motivation was that it was a great place to "scope out" the girls who came to shop with their moms in those days every Sat. He could follow along behind them sizing them up as he carried their boxes of groceries to the car. Truth be told, that's where he first met Wyn. (well maybe Mary first)

As a young man, Gerry loved to party and he loved to dance. Legend has it that he was a great jiver, and seldom missed a dance-all 142 lbs of him, if you can believe that!!!

Gerry and Wyn married in 68. Always a joker, Gerry had the word HELP painted on the soles of his shoes so when he knelt in the church, the congregation could see. He was even a little late for his wedding, causing Wyn and her dad to walk down the aisle twice. Gerry said he was just giving her a chance to change her mind.

Ken came along in 69. They lived in a wartime house by where the AB Courthouse is today and Gerry moved to a better job at the Cooperage. In 1970 they moved to a new little house on Barr Crescent, and Gerry moved to working for Fountain Tire. It wasn't long 'til they bought their first house on 58th. Wyn said they were never sure how they would make the $150/month payments - but the house had a basement suite and they rented to a homesick student, Gerry Duhaime, who we all know as Carlson Wagonlit Travel. Gerry still says they were the best landlords ever.

Doug came along in '74 and the family was complete.

Gerry was incredibly capable, innovative and hard working. He had worked himself up to Assistant Manager at Fountain Tire by this time. When Frank Benson from Dowell Cementers recognized his talent, he recruited him. Gerry's time at Dowell took him across all Western Canada and into the Arctic and to courses in Texas, cementing oil wells, and running speciality Baker oil tools. People in the industry continued to recognize his talent and in 1981 he went on his own as an Oilfield Consultant. He used to tell me the old joke

"Yesterday I couldn't spell it, today I is one"

He was very successful and sought after for his expertise by various companies working for Bar Engineering, Endiem, Northam and Fourth Meridian as well as others.

Gerry developed a reputation for safety. They used to call him "Old Safety Gerry"-but in reality, he just CARED so much for people and didn't want anyone to get hurt. He respected and looked after his crews. BUT, he hated those dam "Engineers" in Calgary complicating his life. Nowadays, the "patch" is much safer thanks to guys like Gerry setting an example.

Gerry became a "techie" of sorts. He hated the first computer they made him use, but when he got onto it, he thrived. He had the first TSR80 Radio Shack computer, the first digital camera, first fax machine-run on cell plans-, 2-way radios, XJ Radios, Aurora Phones, and a 30 ft. antenna. His truck was equipped!! I remember him phoning me telling me he had just signed our company up for an email address. My response, "why the heck would I need that"? He just said "You will, and I got you a good one"!

Gerry had a human side-he brought home folks who had nowhere to go for Christmas and kids that needed help. He was thoughtful. One story was that he took Owen Carr, his nephew with him for job shadowing. He bought him a hard hat and coveralls and got special permission from Esso.

He was always helping and building things for his mom and Wyn's parents. He spent countless hours on these projects. Doug said he did things in threes-a greenhouse for them, one for Rita, and one for Bern & Mary.

Ken has shared his memories and Doug shared with me some of his. Yes, there was the dirt bikes, BMX bikes etc. but the one thing he really remembers is getting to go with his dad to the drilling site. It might be several days at a time, but Gerry would make a bed for him behind the seat in that old yellow Ford extend cab. Doug loved it!! Doug says his dad was so "hands on". Gerry never believed anyone could do it as well as he could. The truth was, they couldn't-he was so meticulous. There was nothing he could not fix or build.

He was proud of his boys and their accomplishments. He thought the world of his daughters-in-law, Noelia and Kristy. He had a special "teasing/joking" relationship with them and he loved them dearly. When the grand kids Danika, Devry, Bryce and Briar came along, he was a proud grandpa even though Devry called him Grumpa! !

Gerry retired from the oil patch when he was 64. A great career and a lot accomplished!

Gerry used to love to "prank" people and he loved to laugh. So now we're going to have a little fun with our memories of Gerry. There are so many stories ...

Gerry used to visit and help us on the ranch in our early years. He came AI'ing cows with me and after a few cows, where I held the pipette that went in and out of the cow, in my teeth, he said "God I hope you're changing that thing between cows"

But his favorite job was what he called "wining and dining the cows" His job was to pour on the grub treatment which looks like white wine while I "goosed" the cow in the rear with my arm to preg test her. Gerry thought if she was having sex she should have wine. Only Gerry would come up with that.

He'd use a program and seize control of Brenda's computer and "screw around" when she was working, then innocently phone and ask "any trouble with your computer lately"?

He played the game of running in from the garage with ketchup on his hand, faking sawed off fingers, so many times that once when he was stumbling and losing his balance from carbon monoxide from a truck he was working on-Wyn just said "yeah right" and ignored him!!

Now Gerry was always ahead of the curve-nowadays people have Emotional Support Animals for every dam thing. Well Gerry had "Rooter" the emotional support pig way back in the 90's. He loved that pot-bellied pig! It lived in the garage ... but what he really enjoyed, was putting on its little harness and when the neighbours walked their expensive dogs in the evening, Gerry, in his jogging pants, T-shirt and beer belly joined them with Rooter. "He just loved it"

After Gerry's first heart problems, everyone thought he needed exercise. We lent him our treadmill, Gerry being Gerry never used it except that it saved him trouble walking Ken's dog - he convinced the dog to go on the treadmill so he could hold the leash and have a "smoke"

Gerry loved his 5th wheel trailer which he used in his work and for he and Wyn to go to BC every September, but only after all the crazy tourists went home. I think it nearly caused a divorce though, because with Gerry backing it in to park, and Wyn giving directions and reading the map, it was chaos!! If you've ever heard Wyn give directions "It's a thing to behold". Gerry would just say "Geez Wyn" and shake his head.

Once he retired, he drove Wyn nearly crazy with cooking and kitchen ideas from the internet. Ever the innovator, he rigged up a toilet brush fastened to his cordless drill to peel potatoes-pail at a time. Funny thing was the damn thing worked, and he enjoyed telling people he did rinse the toilet brush off! !

He became quite political in recent years. He hated Rachael and he couldn't stand those damn Liberals. Our Environment Minister Catherine McKenna ( or Climate Barbie) as he called her, sent his blood pressure over the top and it wouldn't be appropriate here to discuss the words he used to describe Justin!!

Gerry was one of a kind, he lived his life his way, he was flawed, like us all, but there was so much good!! He had a unique relationship with his daughters-in-law. He loved and teased his granddaughters (and they loved it) and he enjoyed watching the mischievous little twins. He loved his family and would do anything for them. He was a bit of a "Curmudgeon" but. ... We will all miss him horribly. God Speed Big Guy

 

Tribute by Ken

Little bit about my dad and myself growing up. Sorry to say its mostly around my experiences but I am positive that my brother has just as many or more great experiences.

Back in 1977 I was eight years old and I just experienced riding my first motorcycle with some friends. I hounded my dad for two years to get a motorcycle. Finally in the spring of 1979 when I was 10 he gave in. It was over moms dead body but I guess he superseded her and bought my first bike. My riding career just about came to an abrubt end on my second day with the bike. I came home bleeding profusely from the lips and had burn marks on my legs. Mon was pretty adamant about getting rid of the bike but dad must have sweet talked her and I was able to keep the bike. After that he and mom pretty much never seen me again. But they always knew where I was as the riding area, which us kids called the pits, was not far away.

One day he gave me some advice for when I was out on my bike. You see our home was the last street in Lloyd I was able to leave from the back yard. He told me that if the police ever try to stop you, just go across the fields and run away. He actually said that jokingly not realizing that a few years later that would actually happen. Needless to say the police did not get my bike that day but it was still impounded by him and mom.

Now another part of this getting a motorcycle was I had to do some chores for him. The regular stuff like mowing the lawn and shoveling the driveway but he also tasked me with cleaning his truck. Well I did not know what I was getting into at the time. He was anal about his truck. It would take me hours on end to clean that thing when he got home from work. I was sometime thinking maybe it was a bad deal. But it did teach me a pretty good life lesson on keeping things clean. My bikes were always shinny and clean. A little battered but clean.

Over the years I got some more motorcycles and even started racing. It was very good of him to take me around the whole racing circuit for several years. But it was my very first race that was most memorable. Lets just say I did not do so good and actually had a pretty bad crash. Well dad thought it would be funny to tell mom that I am coming home with a couple of trophies. So he called her up on the XJ mobile phone and told her that we were coming home with two trophies. Well when we arrived home mom seen that the trophies were crutches. Guess it was not funny after all.

We had a lot of great moments during my racing years. He was unable to go to them all but was always up on my stats and asking how I was doing.

Now he also got me into snowmobiling. When I was 10 I asked if I could take his snowmobile for a ride. He said yeas so long as I could start it. Well that plan backfired as I had a larger friend that could actually start it. Lets just say his fancy machine was not so fancy anymore. The best part about it is that he did not get mad. He just encouraged me to go faster and harder. Pretty fantastic.

As I got a little older it was time to get my first vehicle. He brought me home my first truck. He did very well an actually got me a cool truck. It was a 1981 GMC short box. Now for the people that new my dad pretty well he would have some offside jokes. One of his jokes that he would always tell is that the truck had to have bucket seats. But instead of calling them bucket seats he would call them birth control seats. Yup dads great sense of humor.

Now between all the dirt bikes, my brothers quad and my first truck we spent a lot of time in the garage. A lot of life lessons learned in there. Thinking back I am pretty impressed. There was not much he could not fix. Engines, suspension, carburators he could actually do it all. There was only one job I can remember that he would not tackle and that was the transmission of one of my dirt bikes. I don't think he was scared, just did not have the right tools. Also during this garage time he taught me some carpentry. Wish I could have learned it all but just not in the cards.

Now in 1986 I finally save enough money to buy my first street bike. I went and got a Kawasaki Ninja 600. This was the cafe racer style where you laid over the tank. Well dad was a little unhappy as he would have liked for me to get a cruiser style bike. He thought a cruiser would be easier for him to ride. Well anyways a long story short I think he put more km on that bike than me. It would be many days when I come home after school and my bike was gone. Dad is out riding it again. Guess he got used to the laying over the tank.

Now I forgot a little part in the middle of all this. Dad bought a boat in 1982. This made for several trips to the Okanagan for summer holidays. Now how much fun is that for a kid growing up.

Moving through my high school years I met many friends. He would always pull practical jokes on them. Let me tell ya I think I actually had one of the coolest dads as all my friends got along with him.

Once I was graduated and off to work I actually had to tool up my first truck. I think dad was pretty excited as we were able to put his old truck tool boxes that were stored away back to use. I was living in Edmonton at that time so he told me to come home and we would put his old tool boxes on my truck. I thought that was great so when I arrived home there they were all painted to match my truck. Well I was pretty excited and we spent the weekend installing.

After several years I finally made it to being an oilfield electrician and then we had lots to talk about. He would have his stories and I would have mine.

So then we move on several years and he meets my wife. All goes well and they hit it off. Then the Quantock bull sale comes up and he was telling her about it. And of course in my dads way he has to pull a practicle joke. He asked her to help him measure the bull balls. He came up with a big long story why it needed to be done and in true fashion the story fit the joke. I think he almost had her convinced to do it but fortunately she finally called his bluff.

Let me tell you, what a wonderful father to grow up with. I am sure my brother would say the same.

 

Tribute by Danika

Young and new with Frank at your side, A friend for life right by you, to comfort and play with and maybe once in a while tease

~As you grew older you became bolder physically and in your personality, like your first born son Ken. You married and turned into a husband.

Later little mischievous came, Ken , a proud motorcycler who kept Gerry on his feet and than your little #2 came, Doug. The two trouble makers always ate all the peas at their grandma's farm, Ken would always bake cookies after school and eat them all.

Young to old, fun to funny, husband to grandpa who we all enjoyed to have around, Devry and Danika then came as your grand kids and as Grandma would say "where cousin's become friends". Life was good. You've had two young men as your son's and four grand kids as your new friends.

But life, so full and good, would only last so long. Now you lay in piece in a grave, yet still alive through your story and life in witch we call a GRANDPA, a truly Grand papa for us all.