Honoring the life of a fisherman

Tue, 05/18/2021 - 11:00am

The procession was led by Brewer’s son, Maynard Brewer, who captained the Sherm & Jake, which was named for two of Brewer’s grandsons and towed one of the dories from his stop seining outfit to honor him.

Family members watched from the Southport bridge or aboard the Sherm & Jake: widow Nora, with sons Don Brewer Jr. and Christopher Abaldo and daughter Amy Durham; sister Sandra Thibault and brother Peter and wife Linda; and grandchildren Sherman Brewer, Jacob Brewer, AJ Durham, Isabelle Abaldo and Logan Abaldo.

As the Sherm & Jake made its first pass by Robinson’s Wharf, fisherman and neighbor Hugh Thompson fired a cannon.

The last boat in the parade was the sardine carrier Jacob Pike, aka“Big Pike.” Three generations of the family worked on the carrier – Don Sr., his father, Leslie Brewer, and Maynard.

The cannon fired one last time when the Sherm & Jake made its second pass by Robinson’s Wharf, the boat’s empty dory trailing behind.