Fifty-five years ago, a baby came into this world in Montreal. A week later, he was taken home by his parents to Rougemont where 3 sisters and one brother were waiting with their grandparents to meet him. Much to his brunette and auburnette siblings’ astonishment, he was a ginger-haired baby, a carrot top, with dark chocolate-brown eyes. Their surprise was met with laughter from their mother’s parents. In their collective memory, Grampa had white hair, and no longer the red hair of his younger years. Thanks to Dad for the eye colour and to Grampa for the hair colour, making the youngest Smith an adorable baby. Due to the age span from Glenn up to his eldest sibling (10 years), those brown eyes would sadden as his brother and sisters left home, but he was always happy when they visited. He was a private person. If he did not wish to speak on a topic, a crowbar could not have opened his mouth. Chess was his favourite board game. By the age of 8, he had checkmated his brother. Four years later, he did the same to his dad who grinned at this achievement. Glenn’s feet did not touch the floor for the rest of that day. Nine years later, he gained a new brother-in-law whose favourite board game was chess. And the matches were on! It was usually wise not to be in the same room as each battled for checkmate. Glenn enjoyed spending time with people, especially the increasing number of nieces and nephews as the years passed through the calendar. For a couple of years before he moved from Toronto to Calgary, he was very willing to babysit his eldest nephew every Thursday evening as long as Robbie’s mother made him dinner. Over the years, Glenn held several jobs. Work was done efficiently, whether as a sous-chef in a Toronto restaurant or for UPS or, most recently, for Canada Post (both in Calgary). Twenty years ago, he graduated from Mount Royal College with a diploma in Computer Science. This past August, he was diagnosed with cancer of the esophagus, stage 4. Glenn is survived by his wife, Vernadel; her daughters, Simone and Keshia; her grandchild, Jered; and by his mother, Shirl; his siblings, sister, Shirley (Reno), brother, Graham (Cindy), sister, Lois (Charles), sister, Monica (Steve); and numerous nieces and nephews. Glenn was predeceased by his dad, Robert (2005); and his wife, Eman (2008).
