The family and friends of Brent Smith remember his big heart, and there are a lot of friends remembering him this week.
Smith died on Aug. 16, 2019, after being struck by a vehicle on Grey Road 19 near Jozo Weider Boulevard in The Blue Mountains. He was 56.
Smith had a cognitive disability, but he never let that stop him from living life “fully present in this world,” as his family wrote in his obituary.
Smith was known for his ability to make friends - he had many.
He was known as 'Brento' to those close to him, but he also liked another nickname.
Denise Mighton-Ferguson worked at Beavertails at Blue Mountain Village for a few years, and said Smith would often stop by to say “hello.”
“He was the sweetest man ever,” she said. “I always called him Brently and he would smile away. One day I called him Brent, and his response was to call him ‘Brently.’ I chuckled to myself.”
Mighton-Ferguson said Smith would sometimes come to Beavertails for a glass of water and a conversation, and she remembers he would go with his mom to Arizona in the winter. While he was away, he would call the staff at Beavertails to say ‘hello’ and ask how the weather was. She called him the social butterfly at Blue Mountain Village.
“I haven’t seen him in a couple of years, but I sure miss his smile,” she said.
In his obituary, Smith’s family wrote his exceptional determination and approach to life was inspiring.
“(He taught) us about the most sacred treasure of life: love,” reads the obituary. “The purest heart … having more buddies in more places than most of us make in a lifetime.”
His friendship blessed those who received it, and his family sees it as his legacy.
“May his lessons live on in us for eternity, and as he bestowed upon us, may we carry them forth with honour, making the world a brighter place one smile at a time,” reads the obituary.
There will be a celebration of life for Brent Smith at the Georgian Bay Ballroom at the Village Conference Centre on Friday, Aug. 23 at 2 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, the family is asking for donations to the Special Olympics in his honour.
