Robert Curwen Smith

On December 27th, 2013 Robert Curwen Smith went to be with his Heavenly Father. Robert was born on January 6th, 1922 in Tourane, French Indo China (Vietnam). His parents were from Montreal and served as missionaries in French Indo China under the Christian & Missionary Alliance.

Upon his release from a Japanese internment camp at the end of WWII, Robert returned to Montreal in his early twenties.

In Montreal he met and married Mary Hodge Rough September 29th, 1956. They settled in Montreal where the Lord blessed them with six wonderful children. They spent some of their family times touring ships in the Montreal harbour, camping in the Algonquins, and Robert especially enjoyed family dinners and devotions around the dining room table.

Robert worked for Bell Canada, Montreal, Quebec for 33 years and 7 years for Dome Petroleum in Calgary, Alberta.

Robert had a strong commitment to his Lord and Saviour and lived his life accordingly. He was active in many areas of church work, Sunday School, Young Adult groups and served as a deacon in both Montreal and Calgary churches. He had a strong interest in radio ministry and Christian training institutes here in North America and aboard and supported them faithfully in his prayers as well as financially.

His faith was the cornerstone of his life and as he wrote in his memoirs.

“While at Chefoo I gave little thought to matters concerning my spiritual welfare, but most of the boys did much as I did, going along with the system. For a brief period I associated with a self-proclaimed atheist but in reality I was indifferent to Christianity and the claims of Jesus Christ on my life.

While finishing my High School at Dalat in French Indo-China I was impressed by the sincerity and devotion of my fellow students and during the months at the school I became more and more interested in Christian things. Being raised in a devoutly Christian home until I went to Chefoo, and reunited with boyhood friends again, I realized that their Christian faith was real, and it was not long before I made a personal decision to accept Jesus Christ’s sacrifice for my sin, and was publicly baptized at a later date, and since that time, my Christian faith in God has remained the corner stone of my life”

Robert was especially loved by his wife, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren and will be very sadly missed.

Robert is survived by his wife, Mary and their six children David Smith, Elaine Lowes, Ian Smith, Graham Smith, Brenda Smith and Jeannie Smith.

Grandchildren: Sarah-Monique Chanona Smith, Rebekah Smith, Graham Lowes, Elise Lowes, Scott Lowes, Aaron Smith, Sean Smith, Tristan Smith, Juliet Livingstone, Colin Spencer Smith, Dustin Smith, Brett Smith, Alexander Perry and Great-grandchildren and his sister Sheila Marjorie Smith.