J. Douglas Smith
J. Douglas Smith, of Kings Head, Nova Scotia, died suddenly
at the Aberdeen Hospital, New Glasgow, Nova Scotia early on December
21. Losing Doug is a tremendous blow to his wife, his family and his
community.
John Douglas Smith, Kings Head, Nova Scotia. A fiercely proud
Nova Scotian, Doug felt things deeply and passionately. Doug was a Mt.
Allison alumnus and a chemist by training, He spent most of his career
with Michelin Canada. His role with Michelin shaped this young man and
brought out the best in him. And in return he
greatly influenced Michelin’s role in Canada and around the
world. He was a perfectionist and there was no such
thing as second best. He coached and mentored many young men and women
who went on to have impressive careers of their own, in Canada, in
Thailand, in France in Spain and in the US. Doug stood up for what he
believed in, sometimes to a fault.
He put his heart into everything that he cared about. The
list is long. He loved his property, especially the trees he was so
proud of. He would quietly boast that he planted
every tree that grew in his yard, the more variety, the better. He
loved good wine and good food, especially if there was sugar
involved. He believed in a strong caring government
and the democratic process. He was very loyal to the Liberal Party of
Canada. He had a particular fondness for Tina Turner, Shania Twain and
smart interesting people. He cared deeply about his Gyro friends and
was involved in this community of friendship to the end. There
weren’t many things that he couldn’t fix or
repair. His knowledge of science was beyond impressive. Doug lived in
five different countries and he travelled extensively. When he died,
plans were in the works to travel to Spain and Portugal. Over the past
five years Doug was responsible for Maintenance at Trinity Unity
Church. He brought his skills and need for perfection to everything he
touched. He had a significant presence and was generous to a
fault.
But all of this pales to the love Doug had of his family. His
first wife, Barbara Rice, was one of those smart, interesting people
mentioned earlier. She was a great partner for Doug and together they
raised Alexa and Aaron. Barbara was adored by Doug and their children
and garnered tremendous respect for her educational leadership.
Through Alexa and Aaron, the Smith family grew. Jaime joined Aaron in
2000 and grandchildren Clark, Finn, and Charlie followed. Sadly,
Alexa’s son, Conor, (deceased 2011) didn’t have
much opportunity to enjoy the love that Doug showered on his
grandsons. Alexa and her partner Donnie have continued to hold a place
of love and support in his heart. In his retirement, one of
Doug’s greatest joys was taking the kids to school and
picking them up at the end of the day.
In 2002 Lynne Sheridan came into Doug’s life, they
were married in 2005. Lynne grew this new blended family. Her two
sons, Kevin Lesko (Ontario) and Patrick Lesko (Alberta) joined in the
fray. Kevin’s wife Kristen and their son Maksim followed.
Lynne is especially close to her niece, Lisa Edouard and
Lisa’s children Donovan, Jazmyn and Evan. And because Lynne
loved these people, Doug loved them too.
Doug would often say how incredibly fortunate he was to have
two, such special women in his life. Doug and Lynne travelled the
world and would have kept going if fate had allowed.
Our loss is enormous.
Funeral service 2 pm Thursday, December 29, in Trinity United
Church, 151 Temperance St., New Glasgow, with Rev. Donna Tourneur
officiating. Family flowers only. Donations may be made to Trinity
United Church or a charity of your choice.
2022
We offer our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of J Douglas Smith 2022 and hope that their memory may be a source of comfort during this difficult time. Your thoughts and kind words are greatly appreciated.
Death notice for the town of: New-Glasgow, Province: Nova Scotia