May we find comfort in the treasured memories of those no longer with us.
Here Today… Gone to Maui
On October 31, 2026, Martin Smith peacefully passed away, surrounded by his immediate family, who were loving him up with kind words, laughter, stories and a few well-deserved massages. The last words he heard were, "You're home Dad. You can rest. You're with your family. Thank you. We love you."
Four years earlier, Martin had experienced a brain bleed, followed by a number of small strokes. Over the years that followed, he worked hard to rehabilitate himself, but his condition continued to deteriorate. After spending four months at Foothills Hospital, he moved to Bow View Manor, where he spent his remaining days in the care of a wonderful team of healthcare workers.
Martin eventually became confined to a wheelchair. Despite these challenges, he rarely complained. He continued to say thank you, offer a smile and show gratitude to those around him. He didn't feel sorry for himself, nor did he show anger or resentment. Even in his final days, Martin maintained a peacefulness and dignity that spoke volumes about the man he was.
Martin will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him.
This is the story of a generous, loyal and hardworking man who built a beautiful life for himself and contributed to the lives of many others. Martin had a way of connecting with people through his warm smile, his uplifting (and occasionally dark) sense of humour, and an infectious laugh often paired with the odd pun thrown in for good measure. He was a storyteller, an explorer, a problem-solver and, above all, a man who showed up for the people he loved.
Skeletons don't fight...they don't have the guts.
The Early Years
Martin Leslie Smith was born to Joyce and Les on June 1, 1942, at Vancouver's Grace Hospital. The following day, the Japanese bombed the naval base at Dutch Harbor, Alaska. Les was serving in the Royal Canadian Armed Forces at the time, and between 1942 and 1944, the family moved wherever his assignments took them: Vancouver, Alexis Creek, Tofino and eventually back to Vancouver, where Martin's younger brother, Rick, was born.
Les was later transferred to Vulcan and then Westlock, AB, as the Second World War was winding down. In 1946, Les began his career with Alberta Government Telephones, and the family settled in Grande Prairie, where Martin's younger sister, Lyn, was born in 1948. Grande Prairie remained home for the Smith family until their move to Edmonton in 1962.
Martin, however, had already begun making his own way in the world. He moved out of the family home before finishing high school. Frequent relocations had helped shape his independence, resourcefulness and ability to get along with just about anyone.
He was no stranger to hard work. He had a paper route, worked at a gas station and eventually left high school early to join a seismic crew. He often looked back fondly on those days, remembering the hard work, the problem-solving, and the camaraderie. Apparently, not even the blackflies and mosquitoes could spoil a good adventure.
The guy who invented Lifesavers made a mint.
Meeting Joan and Starting a Family
Like many young men of his era, Martin had two great loves: a steady paycheck and cars. He appreciated the engineering, design and freedom that came with a good vehicle, and much of his hard-earned money went toward them.
Then came Joan.
Joan often recalled the handsome young man who pulled up beside her on a rural road outside Edson, AB and asked if she would like a ride. Her response? "No." "Of course I refused, but he was very nice and had a beautiful smile."
Thankfully, Martin wasn't discouraged. When getting his hair cut by the town barber - who also happened to be Joan's dad - Martin asked if he could date his daughter. The barber, Steve, thought this was rather creative and approved.
Martin and Joan married on May 21, 1966, and his priorities began to change. There would still be cars, of course, but now there was something much more important.
The newlyweds settled in Edmonton, where Martin worked in the mapping department for Shell. They purchased their first home, a little wartime house, for $12,000. Their son Roger Martin arrived in the spring of 1969.
In 1971, they moved to Calgary, where Martin continued his career with Shell. Their second son, Jason Bradley, was born in the spring of 1972.
I'm getting over my fear of speedbumps.
The Great Northern Adventure
Martin was always looking for new challenges, and in 1974 he accepted a position with the federal government in Inuvik, NWT. Working in Safety and Regulatory Affairs, he inspected offshore drilling rigs during the early development of the norths oil industry.
He often described this period as the Wild West. It was a time of exploration, creativity, growth, and opportunity. Martin flew throughout the high Arctic, and his young family got to experience a lifestyle that most people only read about.
There were winter camping trips, ice roads, dog sleds, helicopters, floatplanes, skidoos, cabins, fish, ravens, polar bears and wolverines. It was an extraordinary chapter in their lives. Joan often said, "It was an experience of a lifetime, and we wouldn't have changed it for anything."
In 1976, the family received devastating news. Martin's younger brother Rick, just 32 years old, had died in a hang-gliding accident. Martin was stoic and carried much of his grief in silence. Joan remembers how deeply this affected him and how he never fully recovered from the loss.
In 1978, Martin received a promotion to a managerial roll within the government and moved the family to Yellowknife. He managed a team and helped develop the safety and regulatory framework that would guide the growing oil and gas industry in the Arctic.
Life in Yellowknife was full of activity. The family became involved in community sports, including softball, curling and hockey. Martin continued exploring the North and occasionally took the family along. There were epic drives from Yellowknife to Edmonton, more floatplanes, helicopters, skidoos, and fishing.
If there was a way to get somewhere, Martin would find it. And if there was an interesting route, he would take it.
Parallel lines have a lot in common. It's a shame they never meet.
Family, Career and Building a Life
In 1980, Martin's father, Les, passed away at the age of 63, just one month short of his 64th birthday. It was a difficult loss for the family. Les was well loved and left behind a wonderful legacy, including a rustic family cabin at Muriel Lake, AB.
From 1980 through the end of that decade, the cabin became the setting for countless family memories. Martin would let his boys run wild for two months every summer, right up until they were old enough to get jobs themselves. Boating, shooting, archery, fishing and campfires were encouraged activities. It was a pretty good place to grow up, and Martin was happy to let the boys figure things out for themselves. There was plenty of blood and tears, but the laughter drowned out the screams.
In 1982, Martin was headhunted by Gulf Canada, bringing the family back to Calgary. This was a significant turning point in his career.
He loved the entrepreneurial, problem-solving, "get 'er done, whatever it takes" attitude of the private sector. His years in government had given him an appreciation of the constrictive nature of bureaucracy, and he was ready to put that experience to use in a way that would help move the industry forward.
His work in Safety and Regulatory Affairs took him around the world, including Japan, Russia, the United States and Egypt. He loved his work and the people he worked alongside.His strongwork ethic, loyalty, team spirit, and sense of humour earned him the respect of colleagues and helped create friendships that lasted a lifetime.
Martin was also awarded a Bachelor's Degree and Master of Science Degree in Safety Management and Occupational Health and Safety from Western States University, in recognition of his experience and contributions to the oil and gas industry in Canada.
Martin was never one to make a big deal about his accomplishments. In fact, the family often learned about his professional contributions through stories told by his colleagues rather than from Martin himself. He was proud, especially of his team, but never needed the spotlight.
For all his professional commitments, family always came first. Joan recalled how much Martin valued family time and how he would never miss being home for dinner. He showed up for his sons. He took them skiing, camping and sledding, coached hockey and cheered them on at their football and rugby games. He was there, consistently, in all the ways that mattered.
From 1982 until his passing in 2026, Calgary remained home for Martin and Joan.
In 1989, Roger brought Cindy Reschke into the family. Cindy immediately appreciated Martin's calm demeanour, his stories of adventures abroad, the generosity he extended to the people in his life, and his willingness to go with the flow. Martin would say that Cindy was the daughter he never had.
Between 1994 and 1996, Martin experienced one of his sons' most ambitious adventures. While Roger and his friend pedaled their mountain bikes from Alaska to Argentina, Martin provided logistical support, maps and guidance to help them navigate their way through the Darién Gap. He organized slides and forwarded newsletters documenting their journey. He was immensely proud of the young men and their accomplishment, remaining deeply supportive - and relieved that he was providing the maps rather than doing the riding himself. He would check the weather and political climate daily. Martin gained several pounds and lost the last of his hair during this time.
One of the most memorable projects of their lives together was designing and building their acreage home in Bearspaw. It was a challenging, occasionally frustrating, and ultimately rewarding undertaking. Martin and Joan worked as a team, as they always had, to create a beautiful home overlooking the Bow River, with an endless mountain view, on the edge of the city.
The property became a gathering place for family and friends, filled with celebrations, home cooked food and countless memories. These were the golden days.
And Martin? He found his own piece of paradise on the John Deere ride-on mower. He could spend hours meticulously tending to the property. Some might call it work, but Martin considered it to be his meditation time.
The sun came up... and then it dawned on me.
Family Expands and New Adventures
In 2007, Jason married Kristen McIvor. Martin was delighted and joked, "At least one of my sons is getting married!" The wedding was a beautiful success that brought family and friends together in a way that Martin and Joan so appreciated. Now they had a second daughter.
In 2011, granddaughter Isla McIvor Smith arrived, bringing a whole new dimension to Martin's life. His daily journals tell the story. He carefully recorded the days he would pick Isla up from school or have her over to the house. With his gentle and patient nature, he watched her play, took her on nature walks, let her drive the John Deere while sitting on his knee and danced with her in the family room. Martin loved to dance.
He was immensely proud of her. He and Joan recalled taking her to her first day of Grade 1 and watching her dance performances. Having a granddaughter was a whimsical new experience for a man who had spent so many years raising two competitive boys. Isla brought him a special kind of joy and peace, and it was clear how much he loved her.
Martin's mother, Joyce, passed away peacefully in a long-term care home in Salmon Arm in the winter of 2014, at the age of 94. Martin and Joan held special memories of a road trip to Vancouver with her, where they revisited many of the places from Martin's childhood.
Isla told her teacher a joke; “A dyslexic man walks into a bra."
Retirement? Not Exactly.
After officially retiring, Martin didn't exactly slow down. He started his own business, Energy Support Services, and later helped establish PetroGlobe Ltd.
Martin loved to work, and finding work always seemed to come easily to him. Retirement, it turned out, was more of a change in job title than a change in lifestyle.
Over the years, Martin and Joan enjoyed many family holidays and adventures. Following retirement, they travelled extensively, often with friends, visiting Thailand, Vietnam, China, Turkey, Mexico, the Caribbean and numerous European destinations. They bought a motorhome and did a lengthy road trip through all of the Canadian provinces.
By this stage, however, Martin was beginning to lose his enthusiasm for trains, planes and automobiles. His years of work-related travel, particularly in Siberia, had taken their toll on his travelling spirit.
Martin's stories about Russia were legendary. There were stories of dunk chauffeurs, armed robberies, intoxicated pilots, murders, the KGB, bribes, theft, pollution, and corruption. He would always bring the conversation back to the firm and resilient capacity of the Russian people, and "their ability to get shit done with nothing." He respected that. But, he was gettingworn out. Years of late flights, missed deadlines, shoestring budgets, missed family dinners, and translators had taken their toll.
He once explained that he lost the travel bug after waking up covered in cockroaches. That would do it.
In 2015, Martin and Joan wanted to celebrate their family and surprised Roger and Cindy, Jay, Kristen and Isla, with a family trip to Maui. They enjoyed swimming with turtles hiking volcanos and drinking wine on the beach at sunset. This would be the last time "the whole famdamly" would gather together for a holiday. It was a wonderful gift.
Seldom in life do you know when you've done something for the final time.
In 2016, Martin and Joan sold their acreage and moved into a villa on a golf course in Calgary. Martin wasn't particularly enticed by the idea of golf, but he enjoyed the peaceful neighbourhood and the new friendships they made there.
He did, however, miss his John Deere. The family heard about this often enough to know that the move away from acreage living was a sacrifice. The void was real. Martin missed tending to his field.
Martin's final travel adventure was an unexpected trip to Manzanillo, Mexico, with Joan, Ro<
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