Barry Devolin says the passing of his older brother, Brent, on July 22, will leave a hole for the immediate and extended family.
Barry reminisced about Brent, who was a son, husband, father, grandfather, and his only sibling, this week.
He recalled how Brent was technically-minded from a young age. He relied on him when purchasing vehicles or parts.
“We will miss that,” Barry said. “I’m 61-years-old. I have never bought a car or a set of snow tires without talking to him first. I’m finally going to have to look after myself. There’s a big hole in our extended family he filled – we’re going to have to figure it out ourselves now.”
Barry said the cause of death was progressive terminal brain disease and Brent died at Toronto Western Hospital after a five-week illness. He was 63. Barry commented on Brent’s history of working both white-and-blue collar jobs.
Brent’s wife of 38 years, Laurie Devolin, said her husband was “a highly intelligent, capable person. He’d only do things for so many years because he’d get bored and he was looking to see what he could do next.”
He worked in forestry, construction, ran a cement plant, did retail, sold vehicles with Ridgewood Ford, and helped Home Hardware develop point of sale in the early 80s.
Laurie added he was always curious and wanted to know how things worked. She recalled that as a boy, he once took apart, fixed, and rebuilt the family lawn mower. As an adult, if he didn’t know how something worked, he would research to find out.
Barry shared an anecdote of how a salesperson at Ridgewood commented, “I’ve been in this business for a long time, 30 years or more, and I’ve never before seen a mechanic come out of the shop and walk up into the salesroom and ask one of the salespeople (Brent) a question, saying, ‘I don’t understand how the carburator in this old truck works.’ And he would walk back to the shop to explain how something needed to be fixed.”
A politician
Barry said Brent was very proud when elected Minden mayor for the first time in 2014. Laurie’s dad, Lyle McKnight, had been reeve of Anson, Hindon and Minden and Brent was very fond of his father-in-law.
He added Brent, “very much wrapped his arms around Minden… that was really important to him, and was his home team for sure.”
During his tenure, the township built a fire hall and new arena and community centre, and attracted the Haliburton County Huskies hockey team. He worked to ease flooding and for greater connectivity with the Eastern Ontario Regional Network. Laurie said he got into politics because, “he saw a need.” For example, he was passionate about getting housing for Minden and low-income housing was built adjacent to the arena. After two terms, and a stint as County warden, Brent decided not to run in 2022, hanging up his handyman shingle instead.
Barry said, “since leaving public life, he enjoyed that side of things and seemed happy. He had three kids, two grandchildren he adored, he and Laurie were touring on motorbikes, and had bought a travel trailer.” He added Brent’s passing was “frustrating and tragic” because “he was in a groove.
“Brent and I were close. I only had one sibling. He was two years older than I am… kind of the classic older brother, younger brother relationship in terms of he went ahead of me and I got to follow.”
Laurie added she didn’t know until recently how many friends Brent had, nor the impact he had on their lives. She said he had a big heart when it came to people. He would call people if they were going through a rough patch, asking how he could help. Sometimes he would just do things for people, without being asked. She added he was a Christian with love of Christ and church, doing many things for Minden Bible Church.
Municipal accolades
Minden Hills deputy mayor Lisa Schell said she had the “privilege” of serving two terms of council with Brent and, while coworkers, also became great friends.
“Brent was an excellent mayor who was respected and well-liked by staff. Brent was a devoted family man who lived life to the fullest and never missed an opportunity to go skiing or snowboarding, camping, or on his motorcycle,” Schell said.
“Everyone who knew him knew that Laurie was the centre of his world, as well as his children and grandchildren. As a friend, he was always there whenever I needed him for advice for something council-related, or prayer for something personal. Brent was a good human being and will be missed by the community. I am deeply saddened to hear of his passing.”
Former County warden and Algonquin Highlands mayor Carol Moffatt said she, too, was a municipal colleague, but also a friend of Brent’s. “Brent was smart and engaged and dedicated as a municipal colleague.” She added they had different styles, and did not agree all the time, but because of mutual respect, they always found common ground, “and that’s really important when you’re trying to build communities.” She added they had a lot in common, in terms of close-knit families, and had many in-depth conversations. “We got along tremendously as people. In casual conversation, we laughed a lot. He was a fun, and funny guy, and he and I got along as people… I’ll miss him.”
Warden Liz Danielsen said, “it is with a great sadness that I learned about Brent’s passing. His commitment to his family, his community, and to governance on a variety of levels was unparalleled and he will be missed by so many. This has been a terrible time for Brent’s family and friends and my heart reaches out to them as they mourn their loss and ours.”
Minden Hills mayor Bob Carter, who served one term on council with Brent, and five with him on the Kawartha Lakes Haliburton Housing Corporation, said, “Brent loved Minden Hills and Haliburton County. He was always engaged and always open to new ideas to improve the organizations and help people. I would reach out to Brent from time to time because I appreciated his perspective on issues. I, like many, will miss him.”
