Earle Wintfield Smith, beloved husband of Barbara, passed away after a brave and
courageous battle with cancer at the QEII Hospital in Grande Prairie, Alberta on
February 24, 2012 with his family by his side.
Earle was born in Maccan, Nova Scotia on November 7, 1930, eldest child of Lorne
and Mildred Smith and was raised in rural areas of Cumberland County, Nova
Scotia. He enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force at age 17 and was stationed
in various parts of Canada including Montreal, Whitehorse, Alert, Beaverbank,
and Beaverlodge. He retired in 1968 and then spent 23 years with Alberta Power
(ATCO Electric) managing communication systems in northwest Alberta and retired
in 1992.
Earle served as President of Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC) from late 2004 to
the end of 2007 and was well respected by amateur radio operators both within
Canada and Internationally. He was a gentleman and friend to all hams and a
strong advocate for amateur radio and for the Radio Amateurs of Canada.
Earle was first licenced in 1948 as VE1SA. During his RCAF career 1948 - 1968 he
held calls VE3ADP, VE2ACW, VE2ATT, VE8AT, VE2ACH, VE8AT, VE3BMM, VE1ZQ/VE1WR,
VE6APB, VE6NM/VE6EWS and VE8BY.
Earle served as VE8 QSL Manager for several years. He served as ARLA Director
for NW Alberta and also briefly served as Assistant Canadian Radio Relay League
(CRRL) Director for NW Alberta, then various executive positions with Canadian
Amateur Radio Federation (CARF) and worked on merger of CARF and CRRL to form
Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC), followed by many years involvement with RAC as
Director for AB/NT/NU, various Executive roles and retired as President RAC
December 2007. Also RAC Delegate Team Leader to several IARU Region II
conferences.
Earle was a Life Member of RAC, QCWA, SOWP, member of ARRL and member of several
amateur clubs across Canada. Proud to be the sole Canadian recipient of the
prestigious Azteca Award from Federacion Mexicana de Radioamateur
Experimentadores A.C (FMRE) for services rendered to amateur radio in Canada and
Mexico. His favourite band was Six Metres and he was involved in ARES. While
serving as RAC President, he visited every Canadian Province and Territory while
meeting many amateurs. He also attended several QCWA National conventions and
enjoyed meeting so many enthusiastic amateurs. Earle also sponsored two Six
Metre beacons, VE8BY at Iqaluit and VE6ARC near Grande Prairie, Alberta. He was
a qualified Team Facilitator and kept himself current by doing facilitation on a
volunteer basis for non-profit groups. Supposedly retired, he was occasionally
found driving a Semi around Alberta and British Columbia during the winter
months and in the summer months travelling with his truck camper through
Canada's North, looking for new fishing spots.
All who knew Earle respected him as a leader, a friend and a force for good in
the amateur radio community.
He
will be missed !
Donald
Courcy, VE2RE
28 February
2012
|
Earle Smith in 1958
at Alert, North West
Territories (now Nunavut)
(photo submitted by Earle
Smith)
(courtesy the Web Pages of
Jerry Proc)
|
Photo taken
during the Alert 50th Reunion Trip in 2008
|
|
Earle Smith
visiting Amherst, Nova Scotia in 2010
Left to
right
Jim Hannon
VE1AFH, Cumberland County EMO Coordinator
Earle Smith
VE6NM, former President of RAC
Jim Langille
VE1JBL, WARC President & RAC Maritime Section Manager
(courtesy Westcumb Amateur
Radio Club) |
Earle Smith
visiting
Winnipeg, Manitoba in 2007
Left to
right
Assistant Director Adam Romanchuk, VE4SN
Earle
Smith VE6NM, President of RAC
Assistant Director Derek Hay, VE4HAY
(courtesy Winnipeg Amateur
Radio Club) |
How sad. Earle was a good friend. He had been a radio operator at Alert when I
was at Eureka.
John Gilbert
27 February 2012
Bonjour!
Je viens d'apprendre par le site WEB de RAC le décès de Earle VE6NM survenu
vendredi dernier 24 février. Je connais Earle depuis un peu plus d'une dizaine
d'années sans l'avoir jamais rencontré mais, pour avoir été en contact avec
lui à de multiples reprises au cours de cette période, je sais quel gentleman
il était et jusqu'à quel point il était dédié à la radio amateur, son hobby
favori pendant tant d'années!
Earle a été le premier membre fondateur de notre Musée à se joindre aux trois
initiateurs de ce projet en février 2001 (il portait le no #004 de la liste)
et c'est d'ailleurs lui qui nous avait donné l'idée de créer cette catégorie
de membres à l'origine. Il a été également le 1er membre fondateur de notre
Musée en provenance de l'extérieur du Québec et c'est lui qui nous a mis en
contact dès les débuts avec Dave Snydel ve4xn qui avait fondé le MARM quelques
années auparavant et dont Earle était aussi membre fondateur.
Earle a été d'une fidélité exemplaire à notre Musée, renouvelant année après
année son membership, et nous comptions encore sur lui pour cette année qui
sera décisive dans l'histoire de notre organisation. Il nous manquera
énormément mais sûrement pas autant qu'à son épouse et à ses proches. C'est
pourquoi nous les assurons de notre plus grande sympathie et leur redisons que
Earle demeurera dans nos coeurs pour toujours.
Qu'il repose en paix dans ces "grandes prairies" qu'il aimait tant.
Jacques Hamel ve2djq
Président
Musée québécois de la radio inc.
29 février 2012
