May 13, 1942 - April 14, 2025
Brian William Smith believed in community, convinced that by joining together despite differences we can support and care for each other and our environment and make a world worth living for everyone.
The first son of Isabella “Isa” Dryburgh White and Reginald Smith, he was born and raised in Hamilton, Ontario with his only sibling, Barry. He became a CPA through McMaster University and was working for Canadian Iron Founders in Montreal when he met and married his first love, Heather Elizabeth Marola (1940-2020) in 1969. Six years later they moved to Oakville, Ontario and were soon volunteering in the community, especially the United Church, building lifelong friendships and spending quality, outdoors family time with their two children, Julia and David.
In 1990 as Pacific VP of Vicwest Steel, Brian was transferred to British Columbia to launch the company’s expansion into the US. After his retirement he and Heather purchased a Halfmoon Bay waterfront home and in 1998 established Brier Enterprises Inc., importing and distributing Barmah hats and other leather goods from Australia and South Africa.
Brian was a thoughtful leader who listened to others and spoke up when necessary. He sang in the St. John’s United Church choir, was Board Chair and Chair of Finance and Stewardship, served on the Nominations and Ministry and Personnel teams, helped to establish and run the Arrowhead Clubhouse and helped to initiate and later lead the St. John’s monthly Men’s Breakfast group. He volunteered with Capilano College (now University) and the Halfmoon Bay Community Association, was a director of the SC ElderCollege, and donated generously to nonprofit organizations. He actively participated in every election and for many years served as an alternate director for the SCRD.
Brian loved sports, especially running, hiking, sailing, canoeing and kayaking. In 1961 he was helmsman for the Leanders rowing team which won the Royal Canadian Henley Regatta Junior championship and, two weeks later, the Caesar Regatta in Henley. In 1987 he was a torchbearer for the Calgary Olympics, participating in the run between Fort Erie and Dunville, Ontario. He was a Lions, Canucks and Blue Jays fan, and followed every tennis match that featured a Canadian competitor. Following his passion for exploring new environments, he travelled to many parts of the globe, canoed in Bowran Lake Park, snorkeled on the Great Barrier Reef, cruised through the Panama Canal, rode a camel in Israel, took a safari through South Africa’s Kruger National Park, ziplined in Alaska, sunbathed on a beach in Fiji, and hiked the perimeters of an active volcano in Greece.
After Heather developed dementia, Brian became a dedicated caregiver, looking after her lovingly until her death in 2020. While advocating for her, he also became an advocate for other caregivers and participated in district and province-wide caregiver initiatives. It was this advocacy work that led him to his second love, Rosella Leslie, whose husband also died from dementia. After years of advocating together and establishing and running Memory Cafe, they fell in love and were married in 2022.
Brian leaves his wife Rosella, daughter Julia Smith (Ludovic Ferrari), son David, brother Barry (Susan), grandchildren Michael and Montgomery (Monty) Benton, the Mark and Maria Marola family, and a huge community of friends and family from Halfmoon Bay to Ontario, south Africa and England. He will be missed.
A service will be held at 11:30 on April 25, 2025 at St. John’s United Church in Davis Bay. In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to St. John’s United Church, the Sechelt Seniors Activity Centre or other Sunshine Coast charities.
