SHARON — Police have identified the man whose body was found in a camper that caught fire Sunday at the edge of Sharon village.
Brett Novak, 58, was found deceased in a camper at 4573 Vermont Route 14 by Sharon firefighters. The fire department and South Royalton Rescue had been called to the fire Sunday morning, and discovered Novak’s body once the fire was extinguished.
Novak’s identity was withheld pending notification of his next of kin, who learned of his death later that day, Kirsten Anoe, Novak’s sister, said in a phone interview.
The cause and manner of Novak’s death are still listed as “pending” by the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office, which conducted an autopsy this week, Vermont State Police said in a news release Wednesday afternoon.
Novak had worked as a builder, both for his father, Bob Novak, and for other companies in the area. A phone call to a number for Bob Novak in West Woodstock was not picked up.
He grew up riding dirt bikes and was still involved with motorcycles, Anoe said. Novak had been married once, to Ann Ackley, his sister said.
Recent years have been a struggle for Novak, said Anoe, who lives in Maine. She had not had contact with him for a few years.
“My mother passed about eight years ago and he kind of went off the deep end,” and “pushed people away,” she said.
A gathering is planned for Feb. 7 at the Bridgewater Mill, Anoe said.