Donald Joseph Brockman

It is with great sadness, the family announces the passing of Donald Joseph Brockman 87 years of Humboldt on January 13, 2021 at the Humboldt District Hospital.

Donald (Don) Joseph Brockman was born on February 10, 1933 to Theodore (Ted) and Anne Brockman in Humboldt Saskatchewan and is the eldest of three children. He received his education at St. Augustine School and grades 9 and 10 at St. Peter’s College and in 1949 he went to work with his dad in the family business of sand and gravel. Work was physically hard at that time and much of the work was done by hand. Don and other employees shovelled the gravel onto trucks by hand as they didn’t have loaders. Don made his first trip at age seventeen to Oshawa to pick up a new semi-tractor. Many hours were spent on the road picking up new trucks over the years. Quite often Don would take the St. Peter’s College hockey team to road games with their enclosed freight truck.

With Theo Brockman Transport Don hauled freight and produce from Saskatoon to local businesses in town as well as to Dominion Fruit and Campbell Wilson Miller warehouses in town. While hauling produce and freight one memorable story Don shared occurred about 3 miles north of highway 20 and 16 junction. With his dad two miles ahead of him with a load of produce they got snowed in. They were lucky enough to spend the night with farmers but in order to keep the produce from freezing they had to carry wood all night to keep the fire lit. The road wasn’t passable until the next day when Henry Brockman came out with his snow plow.

For many years Don hauled fuel while working for his dad who had the contract to haul bulk fuel from Regina and Saskatoon for Purity 99. At that time he took on the lease for Purity 99 bulk station in Humboldt. Don continued to run the bulk business while working with his dad for several years. The business expanded adding more dump trucks, caterpillars and front end loaders and in 1960 Don, along with his dad and brother Murray, formed a corporation and operated under the name of Brockman Transport. In 1966 they set up a Redi-Mix plant across from the city workshop south of the tracks and the name was changed to Brockman Enterprises. The plant was later moved to Ted and Anne’s yard on 4th Street and 8th Avenue and in 1979 a new Redi-Mix plant was built on the east end of Humboldt where it is presently located.  Don started and ran the Redi-Mix business until his retirement. Some of the largest pours were the Humboldt Uniplex, concrete elevators for Sask Wheat Pool and UGG as well as potash mine expansions.

On May 23, 1955 Don married Marjory Steeg and together they raised two children, Patricia and Kevin. They also have four grand children and six great grandchildren.  Don is very dedicated to his family and was very dedicated to his business and community. He served on the Humboldt Recreation Board for many years as well as the Humboldt Broncos Board. He is a member of St. Augustine Parish and has a lifetime membership with the Knights of Columbus.  Don was pleased when Kevin joined him and Ted in business in 1977.  Don was respected and was always a trusted and successful businessman in the community and he lived by the motto “Always treat the other guy the way you want to be treated”.  His opinion was valued by many. He retired officially in 2012 but that did not stop him from being a regular visitor at the cement plant “just to see how things were going”.

Work was always number one for Don, but he did make sure that as a family they had many family trips in the winter to be together and make wonderful memories.  Don and Marjory enjoyed many winters south in the warmth of the sun and surrounded by palm trees.  There he would golf, relax, and enjoyed visiting with many friends they got to know over the years. 

Don will be lovingly remember and sadly missed by his wife of 65 years Marjory, his two children, three grandchildren and six great grandchildren: Pat (Leon) Haeusler and their son Kris (Rachel) Haeusler and children Jessica and Hilde all of Muenster; and Kevin Brockman (Myrna Brons) and his daughters Nicole Brockman (Jordan Fleischhacker) and children Brianne and Emma, and Megan (Steven) Albers and children Brandon and Emily all of Humboldt;  sister Marjorie Stroeder of Regina, and brother Murray (Audrey) Brockman of Humboldt; in-laws:  Isabel McConnell, Grace Kuiak and Richard Steeg; and numerous nieces and nephews. Don was predeceased by granddaughter Heather Haeusler; parents Theodore and Anne Brockman.

A Private Funeral Mass was held on Saturday, January 16, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. at St. Augustine Roman Catholic Church Humboldt, SK, celebrated by Fr. Joseph Salihu.  Interment followed at St. Augustine Roman Catholic Columbarium, Humboldt, SK. Memorial Donations in Don’s memory may be directed to St. Augustine Roman Catholic Parish or St. Elizabeth’s Ladies Auxiliary Centennial Cardiac Endowment (cheques made payable to Humboldt District Hospital Foundation).