Smith, Scott Earl (Died)

SMITH, Scott Earl April 23, 1958-June 19, 2012 It is with feelings beyond grief that our family announces that Scott lost his fight with terminal brain cancer (GBM) on Tuesday, June 19, 2012. Scott was 54 and accomplished many things in these short years. Scott was my best friend for 39 years, I am his wife, Debbie Gracie-Smith, we were married for 28 of those years. Scott was an avid golfer, hockey player, lacrosse player, coach, convenor and all around ombudsman, winning many trophies and awards, and as a modest man, these accolades always surprised him. He was also a successful business man, a tremendous source of pride for him was opening a company with 6 partners, built on reputation as honest and capable men in a tough industry. However, Scott's greatest and proudest achievements in life, are his 3 sons: Cale Cameron (Katherine), Jesse Reid and Spenser Earl. Scott `s love for his 3 sons was unlimited and his pride knew no bounds. His sons always awed and impressed him, from their brilliant minds, Cale's outstanding musical ability, Jesse's huge heart and creative prowess, and Spenser's exceptional hand-eye coordination when it came to sports like tennis, golf, hockey, and of course studying Math/Physics at University of Waterloo. Scott's family was his world, he loved his parents, Sinclair and Audrey Smith and his brothers Gary and Grant completely and without reservation. They were all the best of friends with unmatched warmth and love gained thru mutual admiration and respect. By extension, he was so proud of all of his nephews and nieces for making their own way in the world, his family is truly a model to admire. And of course he doted on our 3 grandchildren, Avery, Finnley and Greyson. Scott was born in Hamilton but always thought of himself as a Maritimer from his beloved Bay du Vin, Miramichi, New Brunswick, his favourite place on the planet. And of course his many relatives and memories of summers with them in Miramichi is what made this spot so special to him. He told endless stories of adventures on his beloved `Shore' and always ended them with `Fun times in the Maritimes' ­ he truly felt sorry for anyone who never shared these rich experiences with extended family. Scott was part of my family for 38 years, initially as one of my brother Ken's friends. He always had a smile, was kind to all and he became a good friend, then a best friend and eventually boyfriend, fiancée, husband and father of my 3 sons, the best gift of all. He had an extremely strong work ethic, believed problems could be resolved thru conversations and came to love travel - scuba diving became an adventure, he dove in the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, the Bay of Pigs in Cuba, and everywhere in between, after certification in the Caribbean/Mexico. His stories about every dive are documented in his dive logs, and his favourite dives were always with Cale, our oldest son and we are grateful for this written account of some of his best experiences. Scott also collected coins for many years and recently shared his collection with his 3 sons. Scott made countless friends, travelled the world, was an open, honest, gregarious man who loved to share stories and experiences. His friends were either `brothers from another mother' or `sistas from another mista'. We have had so many adventures over the years, from wine tours in Australia, dancing under the stars in Caribbean, to train rides in Switzerland... travel became an important part of our lives, and one trip would not even be over before we would start planning the next one. We talked recently about heaven and hell, how life to either location is a trip or journey, a different kind of `travel'. As an IT consultant, I travelled both internationally and domestically and while on assignment in Welland, Ontario, he surveyed Highway 406 which became my new route there ­ he said he built it just for me, to make my drive safer and easier. Then I travelled to a new assignment in Markham and he was finishing up Highway 407-again, just for me. There are so many places we've been driving through, in Ontario where he happily told me and the boys `I surveyed that', including roads, highways, bridges, parking lots, airports... So my darling Scott is on his final journey and when we meet again I fully expect him to say to me `Debbie, I surveyed this path - just for you'. Til we meet again, I say `Fare thee well love. Fare thee well'. Scott asked for cremation and will be buried in his beloved Bay du Vin, Miramichi, New Brunswick in August. There will be a memorial service held at 2:30 PM, Sunday, June 24th , 2012 at KOPRIVA TAYLOR COMMUNITY FUNERAL HOME , 64 Lakeshore Road West, (one block east of Kerr Street, 905-844-2600), Oakville, Ontario as well as a Celebration of Scott's life at the Bronte Sports Kitchen (formerly Cop Shop) from 3:30PM to 6:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, please feel to donate to Pencer Brain Tumor Centre, at Princess Margaret Hospital (http://www.uhn.ca/about_uhn/programs/pencer/donate.asp). And Scott asks everyone to please sign their donor card: a small thing to do , with big rewards for many. (http://www.giftoflife.on.ca/en). We extend our heartfelt thanks to the wonderful, caring staff at CCAC, Princess Margaret Hospital, St. Mike's hospital, Oakville TrafalgarMemorial Hospital, Scott's family physician Dr. Krishan Patodia and Diane, founder of www.brainhospice.com who made my journey much easier. Condolences may be made through www.koprivataylor.com.