EDWARD JAMES SMITH, age 94, passed away in Cardston, Alberta, on December21, 2018. He was born at his grandparents’ home in Cardston, Alberta on September 17, 1924, second of three sons of Fern Elizabeth Smith (née Wood) and Frank Reed Smith. His mother wrote, “He was a happy child, always played with spools and wheels, anything that he could get to go around. When he got old enough to look at books, he liked books with all kinds of machinery, such as tractors, road-building machines, and diesel engines.”
Edward’s father passed away in 1928, when Edward was four years old. As Edward got older, he spent much time with his uncles and their families, working on their farms in Glenwood and Hill Spring. He felt that his Grandfather Wood and uncles, especially his Uncle Dale, provided role models for him growing up. Edward also worked to help his mother as she took in boarders and made and sold candy to support the family.
After high school in Cardston, Edward tried to join the armed forces in World War II, but was rejected by all branches because of his left eye damaged while chopping wood when he was 11 years old. Instead, he worked in an automotive repair shop. Soon after, he attended the University of Utah, where he earned a degree in Electrical Engineering in 1949.
After university, he was employed by General Electric in Erie, Pennsylvania. He had an offer to return to Canada to work for Canadian General Electric, which he did for 24 years. During those years, he worked first on locomotives and later on steam turbines, stationed in Toronto, Peterborough, and Thunder Bay, Ontario. When he left CGE in 1972, he was the Manager of Engineering and Marketing Departments for steam turbine development. In 1973, he left Canadian General Electric to take a job as a Commerce Officer with the Department of industry, Trade and Commerce in the Canadian federal government in Ottawa. He spent 17 years working there, representing Canada’s commercial contributions and interests in hydroelectric power plants in many countries, which took him on travels all over the world.
When first working in Toronto, he met Geraldine Oviatt in the singles’ branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She tried to sell him a ticket to the New Years’ dance. He replied that he would buy a ticket if had someone to go with. She agreed to go with him, and that started a romance that lasted their whole lives, 1954 to 2018. They were married in Toronto and later sealed in the Cardston, Alberta Temple. Six children were born to them.
Ed and Gerry retired to Penticton, BC, in 1994. They spent 23 happy years enjoying the Okanagan and its people. Ed loved volunteering at the Penticton Historical Museum and the Soup Kitchen.
Edward and Gerry were faithful members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served with all their hearts wherever they lived. Edward served as home teacher, counsellor in bishoprics, District President, District Counsellor, High Counsellor, and Ottawa Stake President. Along with Gerry, he served four missions: Toronto Temple; London North, England Mission; Nauvoo, Illinois Visitor’s Centre; and Vancouver, BC Mission. He loved the people he worked with an made life-long friends in his years of service. Ed and Gerry loved their friends and neighbours.
Ed and Gerry moved to Cardston in February, 2018, to live with their son, Malcolm and his wife, Tammy. Gerry passed away in April. Edward is survived by six children: Malcolm (Tammy); Cameron (Jannie); Fraser (Joanne); Allison (Michael Daun); Carolyn; and Angela (Brad Alford), 26 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his sister-in-law, Rula Smith, and many nieces and nephews.
Many thanks to the Home Care workers who cared diligently and kindly for Ed in his last months of life.
A Funeral Service will be held at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Temple Street Chapel, Cardston, AB, on Saturday, December 29th, 2018, at 11:00 am.
Friends may meet the family at the church from 10:00-10:45 a.m. prior to the Service. Interment to follow in the Cardston Cemetery.
Obituary notice
Legacy Funeral Home
Edward’s father passed away in 1928, when Edward was four years old. As Edward got older, he spent much time with his uncles and their families, working on their farms in Glenwood and Hill Spring. He felt that his Grandfather Wood and uncles, especially his Uncle Dale, provided role models for him growing up. Edward also worked to help his mother as she took in boarders and made and sold candy to support the family.
After high school in Cardston, Edward tried to join the armed forces in World War II, but was rejected by all branches because of his left eye damaged while chopping wood when he was 11 years old. Instead, he worked in an automotive repair shop. Soon after, he attended the University of Utah, where he earned a degree in Electrical Engineering in 1949.
After university, he was employed by General Electric in Erie, Pennsylvania. He had an offer to return to Canada to work for Canadian General Electric, which he did for 24 years. During those years, he worked first on locomotives and later on steam turbines, stationed in Toronto, Peterborough, and Thunder Bay, Ontario. When he left CGE in 1972, he was the Manager of Engineering and Marketing Departments for steam turbine development. In 1973, he left Canadian General Electric to take a job as a Commerce Officer with the Department of industry, Trade and Commerce in the Canadian federal government in Ottawa. He spent 17 years working there, representing Canada’s commercial contributions and interests in hydroelectric power plants in many countries, which took him on travels all over the world.
When first working in Toronto, he met Geraldine Oviatt in the singles’ branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She tried to sell him a ticket to the New Years’ dance. He replied that he would buy a ticket if had someone to go with. She agreed to go with him, and that started a romance that lasted their whole lives, 1954 to 2018. They were married in Toronto and later sealed in the Cardston, Alberta Temple. Six children were born to them.
Ed and Gerry retired to Penticton, BC, in 1994. They spent 23 happy years enjoying the Okanagan and its people. Ed loved volunteering at the Penticton Historical Museum and the Soup Kitchen.
Edward and Gerry were faithful members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served with all their hearts wherever they lived. Edward served as home teacher, counsellor in bishoprics, District President, District Counsellor, High Counsellor, and Ottawa Stake President. Along with Gerry, he served four missions: Toronto Temple; London North, England Mission; Nauvoo, Illinois Visitor’s Centre; and Vancouver, BC Mission. He loved the people he worked with an made life-long friends in his years of service. Ed and Gerry loved their friends and neighbours.
Ed and Gerry moved to Cardston in February, 2018, to live with their son, Malcolm and his wife, Tammy. Gerry passed away in April. Edward is survived by six children: Malcolm (Tammy); Cameron (Jannie); Fraser (Joanne); Allison (Michael Daun); Carolyn; and Angela (Brad Alford), 26 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his sister-in-law, Rula Smith, and many nieces and nephews.
Many thanks to the Home Care workers who cared diligently and kindly for Ed in his last months of life.
A Funeral Service will be held at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Temple Street Chapel, Cardston, AB, on Saturday, December 29th, 2018, at 11:00 am.
Friends may meet the family at the church from 10:00-10:45 a.m. prior to the Service. Interment to follow in the Cardston Cemetery.
Obituary notice
Legacy Funeral Home
EDWARD JAMES SMITH, age 94, passed away in Cardston, Alberta, on December21, 2018. He was born at his grandparents’ home in Cardston, Alberta on September 17, 1924, second of three sons of Fern Elizabeth Smith (née Wood) and Frank Reed Smith. His mother wrote, “He was a happy child, always played with spools and wheels, anything that he could get to go around. When he got old enough to look at books, he liked books with all kinds of machinery, such as tractors, road-building machines, and diesel engines.”
Edward’s father passed away in 1928, when Edward was four years old. As Edward got older, he spent much time with his uncles and their families, working on their farms in Glenwood and Hill Spring. He felt that his Grandfather Wood and uncles, especially his Uncle Dale, provided role models for him growing up. Edward also worked to help his mother as she took in boarders and made and sold candy to support the family.
After high school in Cardston, Edward tried to join the armed forces in World War II, but was rejected by all branches because of his left eye damaged while chopping wood when he was 11 years old. Instead, he worked in an automotive repair shop. Soon after, he attended the University of Utah, where he earned a degree in Electrical Engineering in 1949.
After university, he was employed by General Electric in Erie, Pennsylvania. He had an offer to return to Canada to work for Canadian General Electric, which he did for 24 years. During those years, he worked first on locomotives and later on steam turbines, stationed in Toronto, Peterborough, and Thunder Bay, Ontario. When he left CGE in 1972, he was the Manager of Engineering and Marketing Departments for steam turbine development. In 1973, he left Canadian General Electric to take a job as a Commerce Officer with the Department of industry, Trade and Commerce in the Canadian federal government in Ottawa. He spent 17 years working there, representing Canada’s commercial contributions and interests in hydroelectric power plants in many countries, which took him on travels all over the world.
When first working in Toronto, he met Geraldine Oviatt in the singles’ branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She tried to sell him a ticket to the New Years’ dance. He replied that he would buy a ticket if had someone to go with. She agreed to go with him, and that started a romance that lasted their whole lives, 1954 to 2018. They were married in Toronto and later sealed in the Cardston, Alberta Temple. Six children were born to them.
Ed and Gerry retired to Penticton, BC, in 1994. They spent 23 happy years enjoying the Okanagan and its people. Ed loved volunteering at the Penticton Historical Museum and the Soup Kitchen.
Edward and Gerry were faithful members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served with all their hearts wherever they lived. Edward served as home teacher, counsellor in bishoprics, District President, District Counsellor, High Counsellor, and Ottawa Stake President. Along with Gerry, he served four missions: Toronto Temple; London North, England Mission; Nauvoo, Illinois Visitor’s Centre; and Vancouver, BC Mission. He loved the people he worked with an made life-long friends in his years of service. Ed and Gerry loved their friends and neighbours.
Ed and Gerry moved to Cardston in February, 2018, to live with their son, Malcolm and his wife, Tammy. Gerry passed away in April. Edward is survived by six children: Malcolm (Tammy); Cameron (Jannie); Fraser (Joanne); Allison (Michael Daun); Carolyn; and Angela (Brad Alford), 26 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his sister-in-law, Rula Smith, and many nieces and nephews.
Many thanks to the Home Care workers who cared diligently and kindly for Ed in his last months of life.
A Funeral Service will be held at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Temple Street Chapel, Cardston, AB, on Saturday, December 29th, 2018, at 11:00 am.
Friends may meet the family at the church from 10:00-10:45 a.m. prior to the Service. Interment to follow in the Cardston Cemetery.
Obituary notice
Legacy Funeral Home
Edward’s father passed away in 1928, when Edward was four years old. As Edward got older, he spent much time with his uncles and their families, working on their farms in Glenwood and Hill Spring. He felt that his Grandfather Wood and uncles, especially his Uncle Dale, provided role models for him growing up. Edward also worked to help his mother as she took in boarders and made and sold candy to support the family.
After high school in Cardston, Edward tried to join the armed forces in World War II, but was rejected by all branches because of his left eye damaged while chopping wood when he was 11 years old. Instead, he worked in an automotive repair shop. Soon after, he attended the University of Utah, where he earned a degree in Electrical Engineering in 1949.
After university, he was employed by General Electric in Erie, Pennsylvania. He had an offer to return to Canada to work for Canadian General Electric, which he did for 24 years. During those years, he worked first on locomotives and later on steam turbines, stationed in Toronto, Peterborough, and Thunder Bay, Ontario. When he left CGE in 1972, he was the Manager of Engineering and Marketing Departments for steam turbine development. In 1973, he left Canadian General Electric to take a job as a Commerce Officer with the Department of industry, Trade and Commerce in the Canadian federal government in Ottawa. He spent 17 years working there, representing Canada’s commercial contributions and interests in hydroelectric power plants in many countries, which took him on travels all over the world.
When first working in Toronto, he met Geraldine Oviatt in the singles’ branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She tried to sell him a ticket to the New Years’ dance. He replied that he would buy a ticket if had someone to go with. She agreed to go with him, and that started a romance that lasted their whole lives, 1954 to 2018. They were married in Toronto and later sealed in the Cardston, Alberta Temple. Six children were born to them.
Ed and Gerry retired to Penticton, BC, in 1994. They spent 23 happy years enjoying the Okanagan and its people. Ed loved volunteering at the Penticton Historical Museum and the Soup Kitchen.
Edward and Gerry were faithful members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served with all their hearts wherever they lived. Edward served as home teacher, counsellor in bishoprics, District President, District Counsellor, High Counsellor, and Ottawa Stake President. Along with Gerry, he served four missions: Toronto Temple; London North, England Mission; Nauvoo, Illinois Visitor’s Centre; and Vancouver, BC Mission. He loved the people he worked with an made life-long friends in his years of service. Ed and Gerry loved their friends and neighbours.
Ed and Gerry moved to Cardston in February, 2018, to live with their son, Malcolm and his wife, Tammy. Gerry passed away in April. Edward is survived by six children: Malcolm (Tammy); Cameron (Jannie); Fraser (Joanne); Allison (Michael Daun); Carolyn; and Angela (Brad Alford), 26 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his sister-in-law, Rula Smith, and many nieces and nephews.
Many thanks to the Home Care workers who cared diligently and kindly for Ed in his last months of life.
A Funeral Service will be held at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Temple Street Chapel, Cardston, AB, on Saturday, December 29th, 2018, at 11:00 am.
Friends may meet the family at the church from 10:00-10:45 a.m. prior to the Service. Interment to follow in the Cardston Cemetery.
Obituary notice
Legacy Funeral Home
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