Robert Roy Smith, 82, of St. Anthony NL, passed away on February 16, 2025 at the Heath Sciences Center in St. John’s NL after a couple long years of medical mayhem. A strong and determined man to the end, he made his exit exactly how he wished it to be – calm, peaceful, surrounded by family and holding Bernice’s hand.
He was born to Maxwell and Olive (Pardy) Smith on March 16, 1942. He married Bernice (Simms) in 1962 and together raised four children, Dawn, Danny, Karen and Gwynn.
Roy provided for his family working as a power engineer with the Grenfell Mission power plant. For 39 years, he walked to worked swinging his lunch can, until he retired. Ever the workhorse, he then took a position with the St. Anthony Cold Storage and finally finished his career in his late 70’s. He worked hard.
He was an avid woodworker and loved spending time in his shed creating special projects for family and friends; everything from birdhouses to garbage boxes, shelves to cradles. He loved a day in the potato garden or a day berry picking with Bernice, and shamelessly bragged if the yield was good. He loved moose hunting with his friends every fall. He enjoyed baking and cooking, and as many can attest, could make boot leather taste like beef bourguignon. He took great pride in everything he did. He was meticulous.
Roy had a great sense of humour and loved to ‘torment’. He created silly names for his children and grandchildren to which we still answer today. He loved listening to music and sang along with whatever was playing; often substituting a colorful phrase or gibberish for the lyrics he didn’t know. He enjoyed a good card game and blatantly cheated to add spice to the family flinch games. He was fun.
Roy is mourned and missed by his wife, Bernice, and their four children; Dawn (Sam), Danny (Zuza), Karen (Kenneth), Gwynn (Jerry) as well as former daughter-in-law Bea. He will be forever remembered as the best Pop ever by his seven grandchildren, Aimee (Brad), Hayley (Josh), Becca (Stephen), Alison, Kelsi (Shawn), Steven (Melanie) and Sara (Riley). He was loved.
Left to mourn with a lifetime of fond memories are his twin sisters Jean Boyd (Eric) and Judy Johnston, sisters-in-law Evelyn Smith, Peggy Simms, Marie Simms and brother-in-law Roy Simms (Irene) and his many nieces, nephews, cousins and their families.
He will be missed by all those he considered friends; the neighbours ‘around the hill’ , the ‘by’s’ on the waterfront, the fellas at the cold storage, former colleagues, and the many with whom he enjoyed a ‘carrying on’…you know who you all are.
He was predeceased by several family members and close friends whom he deeply mourned. Most recently, his brother Larry just 3 months ago.
A celebration of Roy’s life will be held in St. Anthony in April 2025. Details will be shared later. Those wishing to make a donation in his memory may do so to the Children’s Wish Foundation NL, The St. Anthony Boys and Girls Club or White Hills Academy Breakfast Program.
The family would like to thank: the staff at CCMH St. Anthony for your care and support throughout his many visits in the last two years. He spoke very fondly of everyone he met and knew. His favorite Public Health nurses, he looked forward to your visits and conversations. The staff at the HSC St. John’s for their tireless efforts to help him, he wanted to live.
A celebration of life will take place in April, date and time to be announced soon.