SMITH, MARY ALSTON (CARDOW) - Mary Alston (Cardow) Smith, born 30 June 1926; at Church of St. John and St. Stephen Home, Saint John, NB on 28 June 2009. Molly grew up in Strathaven, Scotland, eldest daughter of George and Mary (Polly; nee Alston). She was a graduate of Glasgow University where she met medical student Douglas Smith. Married in 1950, they immigrated to Canada in September 1956 with their three eldest children, Alexander (Sandy), Iain and Isabel, soon to be joined by Gordon, the first Canadian member of the family. Molly's abiding interests were gardening, natural history, especially plants and flowers, birds and related outdoor activities. She was a long-time member of the NB Naturalists and a past president of the Saint John Naturalists. In addition, she volunteered in the herbarium at the NB Museum. She loved to walk, not for exercise so much as for what she might discover along the way. An avid reader, she possessed an astonishing repertoire of verse. In Scotland, Molly was active in Girl Guides for many years, where she was a senior leader. Through the years, she and Douglas were enthusiastic members of the local Scots community where they played key roles in the establishment of Scottish country dancing and Burns suppers in Saint John. Molly gave her time generously to a wide variety of volunteer activities. At the Church of St. John and St. Stephen these included the Ladies Auxiliary, running a Headstart Kindergarten and contributions to the Community Soup Kitchen. She and Douglas were both instrumental in the building of their church's nursing home, where Molly volunteered for more than 25 years. In addition, Molly's volunteerism encompassed organizations such as Meals on Wheels and the Schizophrenia Society. Molly not only was generous with her time, but also in financial support of numerous charities. She gave blood more than 75 times, and ultimately has donated her remains to medical science at Dalhousie University. Molly lost Douglas and Sandy in 1990. Her life is celebrated by Iain and his family in Charlottetown (Bonnie Caldwell and Emma), Isabel and her family in Halifax (William Hayes, Aidan and Molly), her youngest son Gordon in Saint John, and sisters, Marion Aiton and Aileen Grant and their families in the UK. A memorial service will be held at the Grace Presbyterian Church, 101 Coburg Road, at 2 pm on Tuesday June 30th. The family will be receiving friends at the church at 1 pm, prior to the service. Donations in Molly's memory may be made to the Schizophrenia Society or the St. John and St. Stephen Home.