Cyril Richard Freeman Smith

July 17, 1929 - April 09, 2008

I would like to share with you a little bit of history about our dad.

He was born on July 17, 1929 to the late Thomas and Ida Smith.

On October 06, 1942 at age 13 he lost his mother and six of his brothers and sisters in a house fire, leaving only him and his dad to carry on. His life was not a easy one.

Our minds cannot fully understand all that must have impacted such a young life in such a tragic time. His dad did not remarry after that, so my dad did not have a mother figure to help him in his life’s decisions. No one can enter into the anguish and pain he felt realizing that he was the only survivor of that horrible house fire. Today we have help centres and counsellors to help people to deal with tragedies of all kinds. This option was not available to our dad.

At age 24 he married our mother Betty Hewlett. They set out to start a family which led to more tragedy and heartache. Their first child was stillborn, the next two babies died at birth, then they had our sister Golda. The next child died a couple days after birth. Than along came the rest of us. Our mother had to be hospitalized for mental illness several times while we were still small children. Dad had to place us in different homes to be taken care of because he was unable to care for us himself.

In 1980 he lost his oldest son Harris to a tragic accident at work. Still there wasn’t any grief counselling.

Dad and mom made the transition to Springdale in 1992. Shortly after the move they separated after being married for 39 years. We don’t place the blame on either of them. Both were ill at the time. He was in the senior’s home at Baie Verte for a short period, and then to a boarding home in Springdale for awhile. Shortly after Dad moved to Cupids with our sister Neta.

He later moved into a private nursing home in South River. When that home closed we had hoped to have him transferred to Springdale, but instead he was transferred to Clark’s Beach Pentecostal Home.

It was hard for us to be able to spend much time with him due to the distance, but we made the trip yearly. While there he loved to take care of the budgie birds. He had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s and Alhziemer’s.

During his stay in the home in South River, he lost his son Calvin to suicide, another tragic event for our dad.

On March 28, 2005 we were informed that he would be transferred to Springdale the next day. Of course, we were there to meet with him. Finally he was near us again.

Our dad was not a perfect dad. But no one here can show me a perfect dad here on earth. Only our heavenly father is perfect.

Dad went to church most of his life, and as we all have, he failed many times.

He would always sit in the third seat from the front, and he was always the first one to testify. When he hear a tune being played he would always start the chorus or hymn. He loved to sing. He loved to play his mouth organ at home.

He strayed from the Lord, but he came back to his father at home a few years ago. He used to have a smoking problem, but God took that habit completely away from him when he came back to him.

While he lived here many people judged him and made fun at him because he was smoking on the sly and going to church at the same time. But those who did this was doing more wrong than he was. They should have been praying for him instead. There is no doubt in my mind that dad’s slate is wiped clean and he is in heaven right now.

While in the home in Springdale, he loved to go to the church services there and sing her up. He loved the Lord with all his heart. He had no learning, but knew every hymn and what number they were.

He would not always know everyone when they visit him. And at times he would talk random. His mind was not working well. He always talked about church and God. Many times he believed he was a preacher, that’s how his mind would work.

Dad loved the woods. When he was well here in Port Anson, he spent most every day cutting firewood and since his illness his mind was often there. He would tell us he had 40 cords of wood cut and was going to sell it. When he came to the home in Springdale he didn’t like the look of the utility poles outside his window and said he was going to cut them down for firewood and split them.

We would not go against what he was saying. We knew his mind was not working properly and we realize that someday we may be in the same condition.

I remember one day last year when he passed out in the kitchen at the home, we went to see him. He said "you thought I was dead didn’t you"?

I asked him if he knew me and he said "sure I know you, you’re dear old Grace" and he touched me on the face. I’m so thankful for the past couple of years that we have been able to be close to him.

No matter what happens in a family you must keep the doors open and not set blame or judge the ones involved. We don’t have that right.

The last couple of weeks has been really a stressful time for all of us, not knowing from one day to the next if he would pull through again.

Some days he would be able to really talk with us and the next morning we would get the call that he was worst again. We have spent as much time as we could by his side, seeing to it that he had water to drink when he was thirsty and whatever he needed to be comfortable, even though there were times he didn’t know we were there. He told us one day that he was just waiting to go home to heaven, but he had to wait patiently and said "you know, it’s no secret what God can do". He said we had a work to do for the Lord and we had to do whatever He asks us to do.

Many times since we have there been with him we would hear him praising the Lord.

While talking with the staff at Valley Vista this week their comments were:

Your dad is a good man, never troubles anyone, never complains no matter how sick he is. You ask him how he’s doing, he would always say "I’m all right my love, or I’m number one".

He always had a kind word for June Hewlett, Jeffrey Brown and Bobbi Joe Burton. He appreciated each and everyone who took care of him. His favourite nurse was Jennifer who I had the pleasure of meeting this week. His name for her was his dry Juniper.

We would like to thank all the staff of valley Vista for their care for him, he was treated like royalty there.

When dad lived here he would always start the chorus, "Come and go with me to my Father’s house where there’s peace all the time". Another of his favourites were, "Telephone to Glory, and This world is not my home, I’m just a passing through, my treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue". But his favourite he told me was, "Christ touched me".

I was with our dad when he passed away. I didn’t want to leave his room that evening. I was going to leave at 7:30 PM to come home. At 7:00 PM I told the Lord I couldn’t leave him the way he was breathing, and prayed that the Lord would receive his spirit into His presence where there was fullness of joy forevermore free from his pain and suffering. I told dad to go to the arms of his heavenly Father and be at rest. I then noticed the change in his breathing and in only the space of a couple of minutes dad was gone. It’s was not a easy thing for me to watch him go.

Today he is in his Fathers arms where there is sweet eternal peace, no need for him to telephone to Glory, he is in glory made whole by the touch of Jesus Christ. And one glorious day those of us who know his saviour will meet him again. He is just gone ahead of us.