Parcourez la nécrologie de Gale Kenneth Clifford Smith Thursday May 16th 2024 résidant dans la province Ontario pour le détail des funérailles.
Gale Kenneth Clifford Smith
March 22, 1932 – May 16, 2024
Father. Papa. Husband. Brother. Uncle. Cousin. Friend. Pilot. Sailor. Skier. Golfer. Salesman. Musician. Gale was a good, kind and honorable man with a thousand-watt smile and charismatic personality. We will miss him greatly and celebrate his life which was a gift to us all.
Gale Kenneth Clifford Smith was born on March 22, 1932 in Tawas City, Michigan where his father was working as a physician. Gale was so named as his mother, Flossie, described him as coming into this world like a great wind on a dark and stormy night. The family soon moved back to Odessa after his father was appointed as the local doctor. Following his father’s premature death when Gale was just four years old, Flossie, Gary, Gale and Delores moved back to the family homestead in Napanee. Gale loved sharing stories of those early days on the farm.
After high school in Napanee, Gale joined the Royal Canadian Navy reserve in 1950 and went on to attend Queen’s University’s RCAF pilot training program. He obtained his commercial pilot’s licence and taught young pilots where he met his wife, Shirley, who was taking lessons. Some of their earliest dates were flying the skies over Kingston. They started their married life together in Montreal where Gale worked for Canadair and they had their first of three sons, Stephen.
The family later moved back to Kingston where Chris and Matt were born. Gale spent more than 34 years working in the insurance industry before he retired from Crown Life in the early 1990s. But he never really retired. He went on to work for the Corps of Commissionaires with posts at Kingston City Hall and CFB Kingston for 22 years. He also worked as a salesman for Joseph’s Estate Wines for more than a decade. Only a stroke at age 85 slowed him down—but only a little. He continued to work as a Commissionaire until age 88 when he retired for the second time and was awarded an exemplary service medal.
Throughout his life, music was a constant source of joy. Gale learned to play the trumpet in high school alongside his brother, Gary, who played saxophone. For more than 70 years, Gale played with and served as band leader for several bands including the Confederation Jazz Band, Sounds of Jazz and the Swing Time Band. Musicality clearly runs in the family as in later years, he got a kick out of playing with his grandson, Russell, who picked up the trumpet as a teenager. During holidays, there was often a family jam with Russell, granddaughter Erin on clarinet and son Matt on bagpipes. As he began to lose his breath a little bit in later years, Gale tried his hand at banjo, ukulele and the harmonica. But the trumpet remained his favourite.
Despite all of his achievements and hobbies, Gale would tell you his greatest accomplishment was his family: his wife, his three sons, his two grandchildren, and his two daughters-in-law whom he treated like the daughters he never had. Of his many roles in his life, perhaps the best fit was that of “Papa.” He adored his grandchildren beyond measure. Although he may have been considered an “older” grandfather—he was 70 when Russell was born—that didn’t stop him from being all in. He helped look after them as infants and toddlers, took them skating and sailing and played ball hockey, checkers and chess. He attended numerous dance recitals and hockey games and wrote more than a poem or two for milestone birthdays. Russell and Erin are fortunate to have had him for as long as they did.
Gale reveled in family ball hockey and pool tournaments organized by Steve. While Gale may have thrown a game here and there to the benefit of his young grandkids, in later years, he was ruthless. During his last pool game just two months ago on his 92nd birthday, he handily—and legitimately—beat both Matt and Russell.
Our Dad and Papa packed a lot of life into his nine decades—more than we could ever include here—yet it still seems like our time together was not quite long enough. We will feel the weight of his absence for many years to come.
Gale leaves behind his three sons, Stephen Trevor Smith (Linda), Christopher Smith, Matthew Smith (Karen) and his beloved grandchildren, Russell Smith and Erin Smith. He is predeceased by his wife of more than 60 years, Shirley Edell Smith, his brother, Gary Smith, his sister, Delores Smith, and his mother, Florence (Flossie) Smith. He will be fondly remembered by his many nieces and nephews.
As Gale would often say, bye for now.
Visitation from 10-11 a.m., Saturday, May 25, 2024 at Wartman Funeral Home, Kingston Chapel, 980 Collins Bay Rd. Funeral service at 11 a.m. Reception to follow.
In lieu of flowers—and to celebrate his extraordinary love of music—donations may be made to The Joe Chithalen Memorial Musical Instrument Lending Library. Condolences and donations may be forwarded online through wartmanfuneralhomes.com
Thursday May 16th 2024
Décès pour la Ville:Napanee, Province: Ontario
avis deces Gale Kenneth Clifford Smith Thursday May 16th 2024
nécrologie Gale Kenneth Clifford Smith Thursday May 16th 2024
Nous offrons nos plus sincères condoléances à la famille et aux amis de Gale Kenneth Clifford Smith Thursday May 16th 2024 et espérons que leur mémoire pourra être une source de réconfort pendant cette période difficile. Vos pensées et vos mots aimables sont grandement appréciés.