Shirley Gray Smith

On June 8th at 1207 am, surrounded by love, Shirley made her transition home. She was born December 17, 1940 in Weyburn, SK. Shirley lived her first 4 years in an orphanage before she went to live on a farm in Strasbourg, SK with Woodrow and Dorothy Glendinning, who later adopted her.

Shirley was mother to Monique Gray Smith (Rhonda Peterson) and Teresa Dobmeier (Dean). She was beloved, Kookum (Grandma) to Sadie Smith-Peterson, Jaxson Smith-Peterson, and Brianna Dobmeier. Shirley’s partner and companion in life for over the last 25 years was Buck (Louis) Billy. She was a sibling to Marie Glendinning, John Glendinning (Betty), Dan Cardinal and Gerry Cardinal. Her birth parents were Noel Nanapay/Cardinal and Isobel Gray. She has remained close to the family of her first husband, Ed Smith and was also able to rekindle a friendship with Ed in the years since their grandchildren were born. Shirley is also survived by a large circle of friends who were like family to her, including her friend Bev Arnold who she was friends with for almost 70 years and Brenda Schley, who she shared 40 years of friendship.

As a child, Shirley’s love for animals began and over the years she has loved and cared for numerous cats who were family to her. With a twinkle in her eye, she often shared stories of growing up on the farm, the animals she loved, how it was there she learned to work hard and to take nothing for granted. In her late teens, Shirley moved to Regina to go to hair dressing school. She worked as a hairdresser for many years, but perhaps her favourite workplace was in the kitchen at Overlander Extended Care…not so much the work, but rather her coworkers, who she loved and shared many shenanigans with. Shirley loved the simple things; an afternoon drive, stopping to get her scratch and wins and have a puff, gardening, watching the evening news and then Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy and ranch dressing. In her younger years, she was an avid curler. Her love for sports meant the tv was almost always on a sports channel, especially if the Blue Jays were playing or curling was on. Shirley lived in numerous places across Canada, but for the last 45 years she lived in Kamloops, B.C.

Shirley loved her family dearly and has left quite a legacy of love, joy and resilience for us to carry forward. She was not one to say ‘goodbye’, but rather ‘have fun’, were often her departing words, and so may we all have the strength to have fun as we navigate a world without the bright light we knew as mom, Kookum, Missy, Shirl, Shirley, and Smitty.

In lieu of flowers, our family requests donations be made to your local SPCA.