Laurence Smith

Born in Norfolk General Hospital in 1934, he was raised in Bloomsburg, Ontario in the rolling flatness of Ontario's tobacco country. Being a rural boy, his activities extended to lots of horseplay and a bit of mischief, concentrating mainly on lots of fresh air and adventure with his siblings and friends from school, whom he still talked of fondly even into his late eighties.

Attending Simcoe Composite High School, he shone in his final year, winning the "Best Boy" commendation of the school in 1953.

After graduating in 1953, he secured a place at Queen's University where he began his studies in Civil Engineering, but focused primarily on land surveying, culminating in his graduation in 1958.

Looking for summer work in 1955, Laurence wound up taking employment with L.P. Stidwill in

Cornwall, Ontario during the construction of the Seaway, and wound up meeting the love of his life, Kathryn, whom he married in 1957.

Blessing himself with four children and all the work, sweat, and exhaustion that entails, Laurence still had time for various hobbies like membership in the Cornwall Olde Car Club, becoming a piper for the Stormont, Dundas, and Glengarry Highlanders, learning that he could be a devoted darts and euchre player at the local Legion, and taking up cactus growing as a passion.

Sadly in 1988, Laurence's first wife passed away and he was very fortunate to find Joyce as his new partner to enter his new chapter of life, until she sadly too passed away in 2008.

Calling it quits at age 62, Laurence found that retirement agreed eminently with him, and wound up spending the remainder of his days pottering about in the garden, doing all the puzzles in the local newspaper, finding out that he had a knack for gourmet cooking, foraging for morels in the springtime, surfing the internet with great gusto, watching the Toronto Blue Jays with great frustration, and being a doting grandfather to all his grandchildren.

He will be missed.

The family would like to extend their warmest thanks to the wonderful staff at Cornwall Community Hospital, especially Sandy, Christian, Christina, Emily, Le¬¬¬ila, Dr. Westergaard, and Dr. Givari for the exceptional care and comfort as he prepared for his next journey.

There will be a small service in the springtime for family only. In lieu of flowers, donations to either Cornwall Community Hospital or Springhill Cemetery in Vernon, Ontario would be appreciated.