Joshua J. Smith
1984-2021
It is with heavy hearts that we announce that Joshua Jay Smith passed
away at his home in Fitchburg (Madison), Wisconsin, on Tuesday, March
2, 2021.
Josh was born on July 10, 1984 and grew up in Wicklow, NB. He is the
son of Malcolm and Janet Smith of Clearview. Josh is survived by his
sister, Kristine Taylor (Aaron) of Calgary AB and their children
Nathan and Kaylee, and his brother, Malcolm Smith Jr. (Kimberly) of
Athabasca, Alberta and their daughter Ariana. Josh is also survived by
his fiancée, Laura Taylor, and was stepdad to Jaden and Emma. He
dearly loved his Madison, Wisconsin family.
From the time he was in elementary school, Josh wanted to become a
veterinarian, and he never strayed from his goal. He graduated from
Carleton North in 2002 as valedictorian, BSc (Hons) in Organometallic
Chemistry, UPEI in 2007, and DVM, Atlantic Veterinary College in
2011.
Josh did an internship in Atlanta, Georgia in 2011-2012. He then
completed his Small Animal Emergency and Critical Care internship and
residency at Cornell University from 2012-2016.
Josh then moved to Madison, Wisconsin to become a Specialist in
Veterinary Critical Care and Head of Emergency & Critical Care at
VCA VESVSC. In Fall 2020, he joined the University of
Wisconsin-Madison, Veterinary Medicine department as a Clinical
Assistant Professor of Emergency and Critical Care.
Josh’s passion was learning and teaching: “you can always
be better.” He took great pride in his new professor position at
the UW and was simultaneously pursuing further certification for
himself and making plans for research projects for coming years. He
enjoyed being a resource for any colleague who needed advice, and
always responded with encouragement and evidence-based guidance.
He also had a passion for training his beloved Labradors Ethel and Jed
for pheasant and duck hunting. He enjoyed weightlifting and Jiu-jitsu
classes and had most recently achieved his three-strip blue belt.
Family and friends were always happy to support Josh in his efforts to
perfect his recipes for smoked ribs and brisket and share a beer or
whiskey together.
Josh’s calm demeanor, big heart, unboastful intelligence,
furious curiosity, and dry-wit sense of humour were parts of what made
him a now irreplaceable partner, father, doctor and friend. He touched
so many lives throughout his career, which has ended all too soon. He
was so generous and so proud.
Due to Covid-19 there will be no visitation or celebration of life at
this time. A memorial will be held at a later date. In lieu of
flowers, memorial donations can be made to DunRoamin’ Stray and
Rescue: dunroaminstrayandrescue.com and Czar’s Promise:
czarspromise.com. His fiancé and stepchildren can be supported at
gofundme.com/f/JoshSmithDVM
L.R. Giberson Funeral Directors are entrusted with the arrangements.
(506) 392-1115
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Joshua J Smith 19842021..
Death notice for the town of: Florenceville-Bristol, Province: Nouveau-Brunswick
Please accept my deepest condolences on behalf of the faculty and staff at the Atlantic Veterinary College. At this tragic time, we are remembering Josh as a wonderful student and outstanding person. Our sympathy goes out to his family, his classmates in AVC 2011, and his many friends and colleagues in the veterinary community and beyond. Greg Keefe, Dean – Atlantic Veterinary College