Charles "Chuck" Smith

1959 - 2023

Jan 10/59 – April 01/23

It is with heavy hearts that the family of Charles “Chuck” Smith announce his passing on April 1, 2023 at the age of 64 following a courageous battle with Lymphoma. Charles was born in Gunner Mines, Saskatchewan on January 10, 1959 to Arthur (Terry) and Kathryn (Kathy) Smith. At a very young age Charles moved to Port Arthur (Thunder Bay) where he was raised and where he would eventually meet and marry the love of his life Cathy Coates. Charles attended Sir John A. MacDonald Public School and Hammarskjold High School where he made many friends over the years. Charles especially loved to be at the family camp at Trout Lake where he spent some of his happiest times in the sauna or in the lake swimming. Following high school graduation, Charles attended Lakehead University earning his Honours Bachelor of Commerce Degree in 1989. Upon graduating from university, Charles accepted a position at the Federal Business Development Bank (FBDB) in Thunder Bay. Charles and Cathy eventually moved to the West Coast of Canada where Charles continued to work as a bank manager with the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) in the cities of Kamloops, Terrace and Cranbrook, British Columbia. During this time, Charles and Cathy welcomed their first daughter Kayley. Missing family and home, Charles and Cathy moved back to the province of Ontario where he continued to work as a bank manager with BDC. He and Cathy lived in Kenora and then Kingston where they welcomed their second daughter Gillian before moving on to Sudbury and finally settling in their current hometown of Ottawa. During this very busy family and work time, Charles managed to complete the Executive Program at Queens University School of Business in 2003 - an accomplishment that made our entire family proud. Living the past 17 years in Ottawa, Charles made many new great friends and enjoyed countless saunas, bike rides, hikes and trips to the Saturday morning market. Charles had a big personality, a heart of gold and he will be greatly missed by many people. Charles is survived by his wife of 34 years Catherine (nee Coates); his daughters Kayley (Shadai) and Gillian; his parents Terry and Kathryn Smith; his siblings Debbie Smith, Kerry Walsh (Andy), Shonath Gail Kajorinne (Martti), John Smith (Debbie), his mother-in-law Patricia Coates and his close friend and “little brother” Donald Wright of Grand Prairie, Alberta. Charles leaves behind many other relatives across Canada including aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, and nephews all of which he loved as his own. Charles also leaves behind his newborn great-nephew Levi “Charles” Mayry to carry on his name. Predeceased by grandparents Arthur and Elizabeth Smith, grandparents Glennie and Jessie Hamilton, uncle Donald “Mac” Smith, cousin Bruce Smith, aunt Mabel Hall, aunt Margaret Howe, cousin Lisa Haugenbach and father-in-law Gordon Coates. A Celebration of Life for Charles will be held in Ottawa on Sunday, May 7, 2023 from 3-6 p.m. at Amberwood Lounge & Eatery, 54 Springbrook Drive, Stittsville. A Celebration of Life for Charles will be held in Thunder Bay on Saturday, June 3, 2023 from 11-2 p.m. at the North McIntyre Rec Centre, 2051 Government Road. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Canadian Cancer Society in memory of Charles would be appreciated. The family would like to thank the many people that have supported Charles over the last months, with special thanks to our dear friend Melanie McBurney and the amazing staff of the Ottawa General Hospital. No words can express the gratitude our family has for making this most difficult time bearable.