OLIVER JOSEPH SMITH

Funeral service for the late Oliver Joseph ‘Smitty’ Smith, 12, was held July 1 in St. Ninian Cathedral, Antigonish, with Father Donald MacGillivray officiating. Oliver died June 27, 2019. Readers at the funeral Mass were Laurie Halfpenny-MacQuarrie, Alison Landry and Erin MacPherson. The MacDonald family presented the offertory gifts. Music was provided by Emery van de Wiel, Sheumais MacLeod, Sister Catherine MacGillivray and violinist Brian MacDonald. Active pallbearers were Jerome Stewart, Dave Chisholm, Rene Rovers, Lloyd Tate, Bruce MacPherson and Matthew McKenna. Honorary pallbearers were Jack and Aaron Hayne, Owen and Kyler Bell, Owen Chisholm, Trent Stewart, Andre Rovers, Austin Tate, Brady and Brad Peddle and Rhyah and Dave Stewart. Born June 26, 2007, he was the son of Shauna Grant Smith and Bryan Smith. He was a grade 6 student at St. Andrew Junior School. He worked on the concept of the GaGa ball pit for the new playground and was a member of the Antigonish PeeWee AAAs for the 2018/19 season. An avid Toronto Maple Leafs fan, he saw the Leafs play and met his favourite player, Mitch Marner, through a wish granted by the Childrens’ Wish Foundation in March 2018. He received several awards, including Antigonish Bulldog of the Year 2017, USports Bronze medalist with XMen hockey and the StFX Athletics X-Ceptional Award 2019. He was a special selection in the 2019 QMJHL entry draft by the Moncton Wildcats. Besides hockey, he loved to build LEGO, play softball, swim, bike, hike, canoe and camp with his family and playing the drums. He was an altar server at St Ninian Cathedral and was the creator of OllieBots. Besides his parents, he is survived by two sisters, Emma and Megan; maternal grandparents, Gwen (Hatchette) and (late Alex) Grant; maternal great-grandmother, Martina Hatchette; paternal grandparents, Barb and John Smith; aunts and uncles, Andrea and Chris Morton, Stephanie Grant and Brendan Prouse, Julie Grant and Shane Paris, Brad Smith and Kim McVicar, Kevin Smith and Kristiina Hayes; eight cousins, Mathew and Elisabeth MacEachern, Lucas and Eva Morton, Regan McVicar-MacMullin, Cooper, Flynne and Taggart Smith; many family members. Memorial donations may be made to Ewings Cancer Foundation Endowment Fund. http://my.sickkidsdonations.com/oliversmith Online condolences: www.MacIsaacs.ca