David Mervyn Gilbart-Smith

Gilbart-Smith, David Mervyn died on 28th November 2017 in St Paul’s Hospital, Vancouver BC aged 74. Born in London 12th November 1943, Mervyn was the eldest son of the late Oliver and Doris Gilbart-Smith and eldest brother of Brian (Bertie) and Denham and uncle to seven nephews and nieces.

After completing Great Walstead Preparatory School (Sussex 1951 – 1958) and Monkton Combe Public School(near Bath 1958 – 1960), Mervyn expressed his adolescent adventuresome spirit cycling from the top to the bottom of England, hiking the world including Taiwan, Asia and Ethiopia, traveling by barge up the Amazon to Quito, Ecuador and visiting his relative Charles and Eve Humphrys in BC, which resulted in planting Douglas firs on Vancouver Island.

Mervyn attended the Camborne School of Mines in Cornwall, England (1965 – 1968) followed by two mining engineering positions: the first with Libanon Gold Mine of Consolidated Goldfields, South Africa and the second with Britannia Mine, Howe Sound brining him permanently to British Columbia. After the mine closed in 1974, Mervyn established a Duraclean franchise in Vancouver, which he operated until his death. Mervyn loved motorcycling and mountain climbing, dog sledging and British sports cars, fine art and Shakespearian theatre; and stamp collecting.

He was a keen supporter of Bard on the Beach, member of the Churchill Society of BC, Aston Martin Owner’s Club and St John’s Anglican Church. Mervyn’s memorial service will be held at St John’s Anglican Church (5350 Baillie Street) on December 13 at 3:30. Please make donation in memory of Mervyn to any of the aforementioned organizations.