John Bart Sevart

Dear Mark, Chris, and Kids, We are so sorry to hear of the passing of your dad and granddad. May the Lord bless you always, but especially during this sad time. You are in our prayers always.

Gwen, Let me add my name to those sending condolences to you and your family. John & I first started to work together in the mid 70’s when he agreed to review and suggest safety changes to Toro lawnmowers. For an outsider to review products for a manufacture was obviously unheard of in that industry but, because of John’s integrity and care to prevent more injuries, Toro, and I believe the consumer public, greatly benefited fron John’s common sense and thorough evaluation of the lawnmowers to reduce injuries. John provided a great humanitarian service to the public. A great man! One moment that I have never forgotten happened during on of his depositions when he was asked if we were business associates, friends, or whatever. John answered that we were more like brothers. I was so proud to think that John thought that of me as a brother because he was truely a great public servant. From behalf of the public, thank you John for what you did to reduce injury and suffering.

I had the pleasure of working with John on a number of occasions. He was a champion for those folks who worked with forklifts and spent much of his career trying to make them safer for operators. But above all, he was a true gentleman and will be missed.

I first met John nearly thirty years ago while working on a lawsuit against John Deere. Over the years, I had the pleasure of working with him on several additional cases. One thing I admired about John was his ability to explain complicated issues in simple terms. It takes both a great mind and extraordinary communication skills to accomplish such a task. As an attorney specializing in complex litigation, I have worked with some of the finest scientists, physicians, and engineers in the nation, and John Sevart was the standard by which all other consultants were measured. A typical assessment of an expert would go something like this: \’Dr. _____ might be the best in his field, but he is no Sevart.\’ John understood science; he understood the law; and he understood people. That is a rare comnbination. I will always have the highest respect for John as a professional and a person. I consider him a friend, and I will always cherish the memories of teaming up with John to balance the scales of justice. Knowing that John was a man of faith, please allow me to share one of my favorite Bible verses: ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me you might have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world.’ John 16:33.