Robert W. Smith (I0072)
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Personal Facts and Details
| Birth | 15 August 1948 Hamilton, Ontario, Canada |
| Cause of Death (Facts Pg) | Leukemia |
| Death | 8 February 2009 (Age 60) Hamilton, Ontario, Canada |
| Burial | 12 February 2009 (4 days after death) Stoney Creek, Ontario, Canada |
Notes
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Husband, Father, Papa Robert W. Smith (Eulogy by Mike Furlong) August 15th, 1948 - February 8th, 2009 I am honoured to be speaking on this day, however sad, as we rememberwith love a man who touched all of our lives and countless others. Itssimply not possible to capture in words what Bob Smith was really like,and I know many of you would have dozens of things to add, I wish I kneweveryones stories, but I will start with my own. My wife Sue and I began going out when we were 17 and at the end of thatfirst date, when I brought her home, Bob was there at the kitchen tableand I have to say I was a little intimidated. For about a minute I wasunsure what I was in for. I think he enjoyed that. He liked to play the gruff-tough-macho guy; butit didnt take long to see the mischievous gleam in his eyes and realisethat he was more teddy bear than grizzly. When we got engaged, I called him 'Dad' once. He looked at me and said -'not yet.' For the next 16 years I avoided calling him anything. I foundways around using any kind of name at all. It became quite a game. Hewould put me in situations where I would normally use a name and I wouldweasel my way out of it somehow. In Montreal I called Kata 'Mom' once.She was in a coma and couldnt catch me on it, but he over heard me. 'Youlove her too' he said. 'You know, you can call her mom.' I didnt answerbecause I didnt want the game to be over. Now, like it or not, the game is over; and now I want to call him Dad. Bob didnt talk about it much, but his childhood was not an especiallyeasy one. I won`t go into any details here, but it seems to me that manypeople, perhaps most of us, harbor some resentment, bitterness or evenanger from problems in our past and yet Bob was never jaded. Instead helooked at the possibilities with hope for the future. Bob worked at Dofasco for many years and before that at Hamilton Steelcarand E.D. Smith, but while that was what he did, it is far from who hewas. He made friends everywhere he went - from work, to the barbers, tothe coffee shop. He was in bowling leagues; his average, last I heard wasabout 255 and it was the same in Wii Sports bowling. He could be found atDofasco, Veterans club, and Croatian functions all over town. He wasalways first in line to buy a stag ticket even when he couldnt go. Bob started driving a cab for a while in his free time when the kidsstarted leaving home - not because he needed to - but because he met somany more people that way. Sometimes it was like he never stopped driving a cab - he was forevertaking someone to an appointment, driving them to work or bringing peoplecoffee for no reason at all. You couldnt go anywhere with him for very long without having someonecome over with a big smile and a handshake to say hi. It seemed he kneweveryone. He was impossible not to like. His simple, easy going charm woneverybody over. Weve received condolences from around the world from places like Spainand Korea and his presence is felt as far away as Japan where Franksfiancé Mayumi mourns and Croatia, home to many friends and relativesincluding Ujna Dragica and Ujko Ivan who is here with us today. One of his very dearest friends, Tomo, liked to say he was 95% Croatianbecause he got along with everyone so well. Bob would respond 'with Kata95%, away from her, just 45%.' He focussed on being a devoted husband. Lana, an old friend who doesKata`s hair was telling me the other day that Bob would bring his wife toget her hair done and happily sit there waiting for her, often over anhour, sometimes chatting with other people. Even when his wife told himhe could go and come back, he was happy just to be near her. That storytouched me because I have seen it again and again. Bob`s whole worldcentred on Kata. He adored her, protected her, laughed and cried with herand never wanted to be apart from her. His main concern when he found outhe had Acute Leukoblastic Leukemia was not for himself but for his wife.Their bond is eternal. He will never leave you. Its hard to imagine two people as perfect or as close as Bob and Kata.You could always see complete devotion and adoration in their eyes - evenif they were arguing over something. One of them would eventually say 'goaway with yourself, Smith' and they would chuckle together. They met through friends over 35 years ago and Bob immediately fell inlove. And when he started playing with the kids, little Franjo andSnjezana, Kata thought 'maybe he could be a keeper.' Bob told her heloved her on their first date. Even though she thought he was a littlecrazy, he never stopped. His love for his children grew with the arrival of Maria and he delightedin spending time with his grandchildren, Hannah, Sarah, Lillian and Jamesevery chance he got. Down on the floor, building toys at Christmas,playing monopoly or cards; nothing brought him greater joy than the smileof a child. Bob always put family first. For him it was the most natural thing in theworld. There was no effort in making sacrifices for those he loved. Bob taught us all that happiness is in these little things. Simply beingthere for your family, listening to them, beating your son-in-law overand over again at chess, cribbage or pool... enjoying a coffee togetheror taking a walk. While it seems the rest of the world is worried aboutimpressing others or getting ahead, Bobs only concern was with helpinghis family and friends have a better day. This made him the most alive ofall of us - and we knew we were with someone special every time he wasaround. This past summer, Bob turned 60. Many of the pictures in the slide showat the funeral home were from this past summer. That is how we willalways remember him. A gleam in his eye, a joke on his lips, joy and lovein his heart. It wasnt the jobs he did, the games or sports he played, or theneighbourhoods he lived in, it was the gracious, sublime spirit hebrought to them. He wanted to spend time with you. That was his gift. He was truly the best of us. He inspired us all, everyday, to be the besthuman beings we could be. He taught me how to go from a jaded, resentful, and sometimes angryteenager, to a better man than I thought I could be, and I will alwaysmeasure my success as a husband and father against his. Dad you will be missed by all who knew you. We will not forget the greatand humble gifts you brought to us and your effect on our lives, yourmemory will be with us forever. |
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