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Posted May 28, 2026 | 1:32 PM
Donald Edward Smith peacefully passed away on May 21st, 2026. He was 94 years old.
He is survived by his children Jeffery Smith (Dave Lackie), Tracey Smith (Ross MacDonald), his grand daughter Camryn Tapper (Ben Saltern) and his best friend Tania Sanderson.
Don was born Feb 1, 1932 in Flesherton, Ontario and seeing the hardship of farming his father and mother faced he left home at 18 and joined Ontario Hydro (Hydro One). He was with them for 38 years. And this year happily enjoyed an equal number of years in retirement.
On May 20th, 1961 he married his wife Sharon and they were married for 59 years when she passed in 2021.
His passion was never his work, but he worked hard for his family, working 21 days straight each month before a week off. During that week he did unlimited chores, played with his kids, watched his beloved sports and indulged in his creativity. He could draw, paint and build and repair almost anything. Earning him the nickname of ‘The Professor’ from Gilligan’s Island in the family.
At work, when bored he would create a massive landscape work using only chalk on the large blackboard causing his co-workers to wonder what he was doing as a first operator at a generating station.
During a mid-life crisis in 1972 he built a purple dune buggy, never having done anything like it before. And it ran and no one was killed.
Don was a ‘gentle’ man. Children and animals were drawn to his quiet, kind manner. He never talked down to kids and as a result gained their respect. Every cat or dog he met came up to him knowing they had a friend.
For a man of his generation living in a small town (Campbellford Ontario) he was advanced in his social consciousness. In the 1970’s he was a vocal supporter of the ERA movement in the United States. He believed in a woman’s right to choose. He was very supportive of his gay son and wanted to be one of the first people to shake his hand and congratulate him after his wedding to his husband.
He always supported the underdog. Even in sports, which made him a good Toronto Maple Leaf’s fan. He had to like the underdog to support them so long. Even at his nursing home he had his Maple Leaf regalia everywhere. The Leaf’s have lost one of their greatest and longest fans. A fan since the 1930’s.
Our thanks to Tania Sanderson for her great care of Don in his final and very fun years. She was his Mary Poppins. Thank you to Campbellford Memorial Hospital and Dr. Read for his care. And thank you to the staff at Caressant Care in Marmora.
As per Dons wishes, he will be cremated and not have a service. He was a quiet man and he will leave the way he lived. Quietly but greatly cared about and loved.