Cliff Smith

1923 - 2021 

Clifford Douglas Smith passed away on August 12, 2021, at the age of 97 years. He is survived by his wife, Winifred; his daughters, Diane, Wendy, and Julie; 7 grandchildren; and 6 great-grandchildren.

Cliff was born on October 4, 1923, in Drumheller AB, and attended school in Arrowwood AB, Olds AB, and the Ennerdale area west of Olds. After completing high school in Olds in 1941, he enrolled in engineering at the University ofAlberta and enlisted in the University Air Training Corps. After two years of study, he transferred to active service in the RCAF.

Cliff received his "wings" as an air gunner in 1944, served overseas in 1945, and returned to university in 1946. Two years later he received a B.Sc. in civil engineering with distinction, and he then taught hydraulics to third-year engineering students for a year.

Cliff met Winifred on campus at the U of A, where she was studying nursing, and they were married in North Star AB on July 8, 1948. After his year of teaching, Cliff moved to Regina to work with the PFRA design office and eventually became senior hydraulic engineer.

In 1958 Cliff accepted a position with the University of Saskatchewan as professor in water sciences. During his 33 years at the university, he did teaching, research, administration and consulting, obtained an M.Sc., and supervised 28 graduate students. In 1971 he took a sabbatical leave at the University of Oxford, where he gave lectures on Canadian water resource projects. Cliff served as Head of Civil Engineering from 1974 to 1984 and was elected President of the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering in 1984. 

In the 30 years after retiring from the university, Cliff worked as a hydro technical consultant; he thus practiced for 70 consecutive years. He received numerous awards, including a CSCE award in 1986 for "outstanding contributions to the field of hydro technical engineering in Canada", the Association of Professional Engineers of Saskatchewan Silver Medal in 1991 for “technical excellence in hydro technical engineering”, and the Saskatoon Engineering Society Engineer of the Year award in 1993 for “outstanding contributions to engineering and society”.

The memorial service for Cliff will take place at All Saints Anglican Church, 1801 Lorne Avenue, at 2 p.m. on Monday, August 16, with Father Daniel Hughes presiding.

Arrangements in care of Mourning Glory Funeral Services (306) 978-5200.