Obituary of Walter Ernest Smith

Walter Ernest Smith was born on October 31st, 1926 in Eramosa Township in Wellington County, in the Province of Ontario, Canada. Walter was the 8th of 10 children born to Ed and Margaret (Nee.Patterson) Smith. Having been born in the Roaring 20s and then experiencing the hardships of the Dirty 30s, Walter fought back against the Depression by quitting school early and working as a labourer on a farm. Walter was barely 14 years old at that time. It was through that school of "hard knocks" that many of the family's values became seated into Walter's way of thinking. Being a young man with dogged determination to succeed honourably no matter what the obstacles; Walter joined the Canadian Armed Forces at the young age of 16. He celebrated his 17th birthday in Belgium, France. By God's grace, Walter was one of the Canadian "boys" who came home after the War. Being back in Canada, Walter elected to return permanently to civilian life; his military career became just a memory. Walter intended to move forward with his life, so he left the Army at the age of 20. At that time Walter still called Ontario his home. Moving from one job to another, always trying to improve himself, Walter took up residence in a boarding house in Ontario. It was there that Walter, then just 23 years old, met Dorothy Dawson, They married in just 3 short months, back in 1950! The marriage union of Walter and Dot produced 7 children: Alex, Bill, Barb, Dorothy, Vera, Cathy, and Colin. Of those seven, five were born in Ontario; only Cathy and Colin were born in Pouce Coupe. Here on the West Coast, Walter and Dot had lived in the communities of Arras, Trutch, Dawson Creek, and then from 1968 onward, in Pouce Coupe. Walter was a plain-spoken, (sometimes stubborn "Resolute"), humble yet forthright man who kept his word, didn't ask anything from anyone, gave and then gave some more to help others, and who practiced the Golden Rule: "Do unto others what you would have others do to you." Both in the work force and in the family at home, Walter will be fondly and warmly remembered. Walter was predeceased by his parents, 1 grandson, and 7 siblings. He leaves to mourn his widow, Dot, their son, Alex; son Bill and his wife Darlene; daughter, Barb; daughter Dorothy; daughter, Vera and her husband, Gary Friesen; daughter Cathy and her husband, Gary Hunder; and son, Colin; and by Walter's 2 surviving sisters: Jean and her husband Keith Wilson; and Dorothy, wife of Alex Reid; and by their respective extended families, and by many friends. A Celebration of Walter's Life was held on Thursday, March 7, 2008 at 11:00 am at the Pouce Coupe Community Centre, Rev John Klassen officiated. Interment followed in the Riverview Cemetery, Pouce Coupe, B.C. Very Respectfully Reynars Funeral Home and Crematorium.