Doug Smith Obituary, Death – Robert Douglas “Doug” Smith, 61 years old and a resident of Stratford, passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, November 26, 2022 at the Stratford General Hospital. Smith was the son of Robert Henry Smith and Margorie Orma (Myhill) Smith, both of whom passed away before his birth in Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Canada. Doug is survived by the woman he married on September 1, 1984, Laureen (Andrews) Smith, who was not only his true love but also his best friend. Doug Smith was a very proud and devoted father to his sons Ian and Jake Smith. His sister Janet Smith, his brother David (Renea) Smith, and his sister Cheryl Denaire will always hold cherished memories of him.
In addition to his wife’s parents, Earl and Corrine Andrews, and his brothers-in-law Frank (France) Andrews, Cal (Heather), and Darrin (Corinne) Andrews, he is also survived by a large number of nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends whom he considered to be family. He will be greatly missed. Because Doug has made such a significant impact on the lives of so many people, his absence will be keenly felt by many. It was returned to him threefold because he had such a high level of pride and dedication to his children, Laureen and his two sons. He and Laureen first crossed paths at Carleton University, and a little over a year later, they tied the knot.
Their first experience outside of the country was working as teachers in Chibougamau, Quebec. After a period of four years, the couple made the decision to relocate to Ontario and settled on Stratford as the location where they would start a family. During the next 31 years, Doug was a teacher at St. Michael Catholic District High School, where he was also a badminton coach. Because Doug placed a premium on family, and because the St. Mike’s community served as our family, it quickly became an integral component of both of our lives. They stoked the fire in him to become a teacher.
People were curious about why he would stay so late after school on a regular basis. It was not because of the preparation but rather because of the students; if they required assistance with their classes, but also to chat about what was important to them and to listen to them, I was there. The students and the faculty were more important to him than anything that could be learned from the curriculum. This remained consistent throughout the years; previous students in their late 40s would still approach him to say “Hi, Mr. Smith.” I’m …..” He was always familiar with them, even though he could never recall their names. Doug entered retirement in 2020, but he continued to pursue his passion by working as a supply teacher at St. Mike’s. Even while it wasn’t something that happened every day, the fact that he was a part of the St. Mike’s community made him extremely happy. Laureen, Ian, and Jake will always feel a sense of pride in remembering him and his accomplishments.