- On Tuesday, April 11, 2023, as the workday was ending, with a clear awareness and cancer consumed body, as was his plan, Bob watched from his window one more time as the setting sun began its slow journey to quietly blanket his beautiful community of Avonport, and he begrudgingly conceded a win to the disease. Some people believe in Superman. We had Bob. We didn’t always see eye to eye, but always, heart to heart. Bob was the second of eleven children born to Vance and Mary (Levy) Smith, and decidedly, the loudest.
At the age of 23, Bob married Cathy Yeaton, his opposite. She was a very fashionable, gentle, soft spoken, shy, blond beauty from Hantsport, that did not like to get dirty, and could charm him into submission with her quiet ‘that’s enough Bob’, or the famous ‘look’. Together, he and Cathy embraced and enjoyed an abundance of friends, family, travel, and adventure, while raising their two handsome and talented boys, Luke and Adam, into fine young men. And their house was not a home without a dog or two running around. As a sports enthusiast and music lover, Bob was a proud, loud, and avid supporter of Luke and Adam in their sports, music endeavors and careers.
As well as many dearly loved aunt’s, uncle’s, and cousins from all three families, many of whom he shared a very humorous and special relationship with. And so many friends, and friends of friends, and friends of their kids; clearly from a generation that was thick-skinned and could handle his jokes, teasing and insults, and come back for more. All in genuine, good, fun.
Bob was heartbroken and predeceased by his first love and devoted wife, Cathy Yeaton; parents, Vance and Mary (Levy) Smith; father-in-law, Russ Yeaton; niece, Heidi (Smith) King; sister-in-law, Mary (Hill) Smith; Kim’s niece, Nikol Balcom, and numerous, abundantly loved relatives.
As grief is all consuming, Bob was no stranger to the difficulty in adjusting to loss. Although he knew Kim Patterson’s family from living in the same community, their paths had never crossed, and yet when they met over twenty years ago, their friendship developed with ease as they realized they had so much in common. Kim was younger, but an equal match in her fearless strength, energy, fun and enthusiasm in their outdoor activities and adventures. Perhaps a surprise to Bob when he realized his best friend was a girl, and she was confident in standing her ground. Whether they were cooking, pickling, hunting, fishing, golfing, 4-wheeling, travelling to resorts or deep in the wilderness, they shared a commitment and partnership. Kim and Bobby provided each other with balance, love and support. Their dream of building a home together came to life with a great deal of planning, talent and hard work when SugarHill was created. Of course, in true Bob fashion, always with gentle, soft-spoken instruction, and never a tool thrown across the field! From the inside to the outside, with a vast and beautiful view, (Bob insisted he could see as far as Middleton), their lovely gardens carefully crafted as a showcase of produce and pathways, they watched as their property became a haven for enjoyment, social events and blending their Smith, Yeaton and Patterson families.
Bob’s life-long appreciation of nature, the land, sea, and sky, began as a young boy as he found great satisfaction and fulfillment to plant, fish, hunt and create from the earth. He embraced every season for what he could achieve and what it provided in its bounty, entertainment, and beauty. He had all the gear, toys, and tools to be outside, every day. He lived by the verse: "Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime."
Bob was always busy. He only had time for idle chatter and storytelling, when he was the one talking, but you could be assured it would be highly entertaining, and somewhat unbelievable. There was not an umpire, referee, coach, teacher, employee, store clerk, utility technician, or family member, who knew anything. He did not shy away from voicing his opinion. Whether in a crowd, sitting in the stands, or at the dinner table, this verbal barrage strangely became acceptable, and many people looked forward to it. When asked if Bob was your relative, you were never sure if you should proudly say "yes" or timidly "why are you asking?". As a sibling, there was no way to prepare for a feisty argument with Bob. If you chose to prove your point, you were in for a lengthy battle; yet his unspoken rule was "I can fight and argue with my family, but if you lay a hand on them, you’ll be dealing with me". He could quickly ignite your emotions, and leave you wondering if you should smile, laugh, shake your head, hug him, or hit him.
Bob’s sense of fashion in the last few years was, that he didn’t have one. He defied every color and plaid combination and his Mother Mary’s rules for ironing. His entrance to every event was a surprise. Bob’s personality, and his hair, was an eclectic combination of Willie Nelson, Albert Einstein, one of the Muppets, and Rambo. He was special.
Bob did not do anything in a small or quiet way. The fact that he could sit still and speechless in a tree-stand for hours a day while hunting, will possibly be added to the existing "wonders of the world". An outdoor concert featuring Adam’s Band required a portable, covered stage with windows to enjoy the view. A family wedding inspired Bob to cut and fell enough trees from his property to make an outdoor tent to host a large crowd, with a sturdy frame and a plastic covering with no seams in case of rain, and a fire pit for a three hundred cob, corn boil. When his family wanted to host a reunion, the tent was brought back to life, with space cleared for people to park, camp, play games, fly kites, dance, sing, watch fireworks, and be well fed for three days. The seamless roof passed the test with a full day of torrential rain that sent many scrambling for rubber boots but did not dampen the spirits of the 160+ people in attendance.
When his granddaughters came to visit, on a whim, maybe they would build a small outdoor playhouse in one day, or make a luge from the second story bedroom window on a snowy winter day to coast into the yard, run back through the house in snow gear to be lifted through the window again, to have another turn; or maybe learn to start a fire, ride a 4-wheeler, use a chain saw, fly a kite. Whatever the activity, it would be fun, foolish, and outlandish. Bob the Builder was also the prop creator, greeter, and ticket taker at the girls dance recitals. Thanks to whoever kept him off the stage.
Ever the creator, inventor, and entertainer, he had a fascination with kite building and flying. The kite symbolizes the flyer’s quest for freedom and control, and like the kite that must fly against the wind to reach greater heights, Bob often went against the grain, challenging the odds of survival, and lived his life on his own terms. His mind never stopped. Bob did not understand boredom or laziness. If you were troubled, tired or had an issue, he would put you to work. He always had a purpose because he always had a project on the go. He had to fly the highest kite, make the biggest snow creation, the most intricate sand sculpture, the longest sledding hill, catch the biggest fish, bring home the largest deer, plant the first seeds, grow a garden to feed a community, make the best bread, pie, pickles, and plan the biggest party. Bob did not just love to work, he lived to work.
His career as a mason, artist and craftsman spanned many years and his projects can be found from Goose Bay, Labrador, St. John’s, Newfoundland, the Bahamas, throughout the Annapolis Valley and beyond. We encouraged him to teach his trade and pass on his skills and talent, but by today’s health and safety standards, safe work practices, sensitivity training and the daily expectation to show up, no one would return on the second day, IF they happened to survive the first one. When everyday brick became boring, he designed and built forms to make his own individual rock, stone, and brick, by hand. Mortar, sand, and concrete were his friends. A foundation for creativity.
Sadly, cancer arrived and developed into a harsh and cruel opponent. Kim navigated how to manage and administer Bob’s treatment, care, and communication with a steady stream of family and friends. She provided a calming climate for a very stubborn patient who had spent a lifetime ensuring his environment was within his control. He operated on his own terms. With heartfelt gratitude, we give thanks to Kim, his incredibly patient partner, laborer, adventurer, and caregiver. Kim was devoted, steadfast, and genuine in her commitment to love and comfort Bob these past years, and especially during his most difficult days.
As much as we are truly lost and deeply saddened by Bob’s passing, we are grateful that he was not a twin. "A sibling is the lens through which we view our childhood". Bob has always compelled the most attention, mostly by his voice when he enters a room, completely unaware of his interruption, that’s just the way it was. It came as no surprise that he would somehow control the order of his family to be the first sibling to go. He would assume the responsibility to chart out the territory and pave the way for the rest of us. We have received a generous outpouring of love, concern and kind words during Bob’s illness and death, and when the time comes for the last one of us to release the kite string, others will be saying, "Finally, we’ve heard enough about those Smith kids".
Bob’s ability to create, tell stories and his sense of adventure will be dearly missed, the void of his presence is profoundly felt, he was a "doer," a fixer, a builder, our superman, our protector. In his final words, "Love You Forever".
Cremation has taken place and an informal, drop-in gathering with family, friends and refreshments is scheduled for the evening of Tuesday, May 23, 2023 at the Avonport Baptist Church vestry, from 6:00-8:00 p.m.
If interested, donations in memory of Bob can be made to the Avonport Baptist Church to acknowledge Bob’s efforts in the design and construction of the church, and to be disbursed through the church’s outreach objectives that support the Hantsport and L.E. Shaw School Breakfast Programs, the Food Bank, Kingswood Camp, Valley Hospice, Valley Regional Hospital Foundation, Palliative Care, VON, and more.
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1950 - 2023 (73 years)
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