May 28, 1948 - December 14, 2021
In Loving Memory ~
The passing of Hugh Smith has left a gaping hole in our family. Hugh will be missed for many reasons by his friends and family. He was a joker who made a point of bringing humor into every day. For years, he had a magic wand taped to his office window with a sign that said, "In case of technical problems break tape."
During his career at CRTV, Hugh touched the lives of many people as program manager. He was passionate about making TV production accessible to communities. He also loved being behind the camera and chasing news stories as a freelancer. His footage of the grounding of the "Sundancer" cruiseship in 1984 was one of his videos that was broadcasted internationally.
Hugh began life in England and moved with his family to Vancouver, BC as a child. The family eventually settled in Penticton where he went to school. As a young man, he went to Simon Fraser to take teacher training, but his heart took him to TV. He was one of the original staff at the new station in Vancouver called CKVU. This is where he met his wife, Eileen.
Hugh also worked in community TV in the Fraser Valley, before coming to Campbell River in 1980 to head up programming at CRTV until it was bought out.
On December 1, 2021, Hugh went to Royal Jubilee Hospital in Victoria for cancer surgery. His recovery was slow, and after two weeks complications developed. He passed away in the ICU on December 14th with his children, his close friends and supports, Brea-Lynn Foxcroft, and Eileen.
Hugh deeply loved his children Garrett and Jennifer Elspeth Smith, and his grandchildren Dylan and Elise Wise, and Amara Lewis.
He is also deeply missed by his X-wife and good friend, Eileen Stearns, after a bond lasting 46 years. Hugh, we will have to walk without you from now on, but you will be in our hearts forever.
Our mutual love will help us heal however long it takes.