ROBERT JAMES SMITH

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ROBERT JAMES SMITH Bob passed away on June 1, 2005 at Rideau Park Personal Care Home after a courageous battle with cancer. He was born at Cypress River, MB on November 19, 1937, the youngest son of Bill and Viola Smith. After graduating from high school, he began his career with Manitoba Hydro as a lineman and retired in 1994 at Division Manager of Western Region. He was dedicated to his job and took pride in encouraging his staff to strive for higher achievement in their careers. He was always interested in sports and his competitive nature made him a good hockey and baseball player. He played on the Treherne/Holland Bantam BB Hockey team, which won the Provincial Clint Bennest Memorial Trophy in 1952. He also played with the Hamiota hockey team in 1957-58. His job took him to several towns in Manitoba including Hamiota, Erickson, Winnipeg and Carberry. While working in Carberry, he met Isabelle and they were married in 1959 and had three children, Bill, Roberta and Don. Bob was always willing to volunteer his time, whether it was a service club or sports. He was active in the Lions Club, the Friends of Spruce Woods, the Bluebird Society and the Criddle/Vane Committee. As a member of the Friends of Sprucewoods in Carberry, he was chairman of the volunteer building committee, which resulted in the successful completion of the new Interpretive Centre at Sprucewoods Park. Then he became a member of the Criddle/Vane committee and aided in the restoration of this property, which is now designated as a park. He also joined the Bluebird Society and he and Isabelle walked countless miles along the fence lines and railroad line, counting the nestings and enjoying the beautiful, colorful birds. In 1970, as a Centennial project, a group of men from Cypress River including Bob, built a raft and travelled the Assiniboine River from Cypress River to Winnipeg. The object of the trip was to find and bring a bit of Manitoba River history with them. The paddlewheel steamer Alpha sank near Cypress River in 1884. The men knew of the approximate location and brought a piece of the wreckage to Justice A. Monin who was the vice-chairman of the Manitoba Centennial Corporation. While the children were growing up, Bob coached hockey and ringette. He was one of the founding fathers of the sport of Ringette in Manitoba, putting on clinics, promoting the sport and making trips with the teams on which Roberta played, to Ontario, Quebec, Alberta and one trip to Europe. When living in the Maples area of Winnipeg, he coached hockey at the community centre, helping to clean and flood the ice on the open-air rink and was a mentor to the rink rats who loved the sport of hockey. He was an avid hunter and conservationist and was a junior rifle instructor for several years when living in Winnipeg. Autumn was the time of year for his favorite pass-time, bird hunting, deer hunting and moose hunting, enjoying special times at their camps with his sons, Bill and Don and his hunting buddies. He build a cottage at Lake St. George and we have fond memories of summers and winters there, fishing, hunting, cross-country skiing, building and relaxing. And he still made time to take us on many camping trips to various campgrounds across Canada. When Bob retired, he and Isabelle wintered in Weslaco Texas before he became ill. They developed long-lasting friendships with both Canadians and Americans and had many happy winters in the south. Bob was predeceased by his son Bill; parents, Bill and Viola; and by his sister Viola and brother-in-law Dewarren. He is survived by his wife Isabelle; daughter Roberta (Ben) Britta, Brett; son Don (Val) Jarrett; sister Mary Kerr; brother Charlie (Ethel); sisters-in-law, Hilda (Lawrence) Gushalak, Agnes (Jerry) Fizell; brother-in-law Will (Gail) Zimmer and several nieces and nephews. Funeral services will be held at the Cypress River United Church on Tuesday, June 7 at 11:00 a.m. with Rev. Jim Penhale officiating. Interment will take place in the Glencoe Cemetery. Friends that so desire, memoriams may be made in Bob's memory to the Rideau Park Personal Care Home, 525 Victoria Ave. E. Brandon, MB R7A 6S9, or to the Carberry Health Centre, Carberry, MB, to the Friends of Sprucewoods, Box 900, Carberry, MB R0K 0H0. Sincere thanks to all the staff at the Rideau Park Personal Care Home and the Carberry Hospital and to the hydro family , Dale and Dody Collingridge and Lloyd and Vivian Grierson for their care, kindness and help to Bob and I during Bob's illness. Jamieson Funeral Service of Baldur-Glenboro in care of arrangements. 1-204-827-2480.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Jun 04, 2005