Lil Smith passed away quietly at age 84, on June 29.

She is survived by her five children: George (and Mary-Anne Smith and their children Bev, Rob and Melody); Jim (and Madeleine Smith and their children Jimmy and Ed); John (and Bev Smith); Linda (and Mike Dickson and their children Jordan and Carly); Wendy (and Gord Henderson and their children Chris, Tanya and David); and 14 great-grandchildren. Lil also thought of Lois Hollstedt as her third daughter. Lil was the youngest of five children, and is also survived by her sister Martha and family in Comox, BC; brother John and family in California; and brother Arnold and family, also in California.

Lil married George Smith at a young age, and followed him from Manitoba to Ontario to Alberta and British Columbia, retiring to Kamloops in 1970, as he served in the Royal Canadian Air Force.

During their Air Force life, and while raising five young children, Lil educated herself, becoming a pre-school teacher. When they were posted to North Bay, Ontario, she again went back to school to become a hairdresser, and when moving to Kamloops, soon owned her own salon. Being an ambitious person, Lil then went on to get her real estate licence, and joined Myers Realty where she was the only woman salesperson. She reveled in this competitive environment, becoming the foremost commercial real estate salesperson and owner/agent of Smith-Cook Realty.

During this time, Lil found a new life partner in Jack Harder, and they enjoyed 30 years together. After retirement, they enjoyed their home at Scotch Creek on the Shuswap, where many wonderful memories were formed.

Lil's main ambition in life was to ensure that her children became successful in their own right, and to this end, once again, she succeeded.

Our mom was the guiding light and driving force that shaped our lives, and she made us who we are today. We all will miss her greatly.

The family is grateful for the compassionate and caring staff at the Marjorie Willoughby Hospice in Kamloops. You made her final days very comforting.

At Lil's request, there will be no service. We request that any expressions of sympathy take the form of donations to the Kamloops Hospice Association, 72 Whiteshield South, Kamloops, BC, V2E 2S9 or at www.kamloopshospice.com

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to the family from
www.kamloopsfuneralhome.com