Obituary of Karst Smit
It is with great joy that we celebrate the life of Karst Smit, our loving husband, father, Opa, and friend, and with equal sadness that we mourn his passing. Karst died peacefully on Tuesday, September 22, 2020 constantly surrounded by his “girls” and wife. Right up to the last moment, Karst had a joke at the ready and was worried more about others than himself. He will be greatly missed, but lovingly remembered as he lives on in his 3 daughters and 7 grandchildren who were the centre of his universe.
Karst was greatly loved by his wife of 57 years Ann (Mason); his daughters (his “girls”) Helena Cain (Larry), Carrie Smit (Geoff Ketcheson) and Shelley Smit (Sean Doyle). He was Opa to seven grandchildren: Maddy, Stone, Robin, Molly, Sam, Sydney and Shane. He was the son of the late Hendrickus (Tom) Smit and Helena (Tulp) Smit and the son-in-law of the late Joseph and Bernice Mason. He was predeceased by his sister Eva Henwood (Roger). He had a loving extended family including brothers-in-law Fred Mason (Shirley), Burt Mason (Carol), and John Mason (Doreena) and sisters-in-law Connie Hayes (Delbert), Louise Cosman (Doug) and Marilyn Phinney (Ernie), as well as many nephews and nieces.
Born in Hengelo, The Netherlands, Karst immigrated to Canada at the age of 18 and, while a proud Canadian, he never forgot his Dutch roots. Karst enjoyed so much in life. From his love of travel, food and all things Dutch, to his joy of music, games, reading and a good joke, Karst always lived in the moment and focused on the positive things in life. His big smile and warm heart will be greatly missed.
Arrangements have been entrusted to the compassionate care of Wallace Funeral Home, 34 Sunnyside Drive, Sussex. A Celebration of Karst’s life will be held at St. Paul’s United Church on Saturday, September 26, 2020 at 11:00am. Due to Covid-19, seating is limited and we ask that you contact the funeral home (506-433-1176 ) to reserve your seat. Following the service, the family will receive relatives and friends at Wallace Community Chapel until 2pm.
If you are considering making a memorial donation the family has requested Saint John Regional Hospital -Palliative Care Unit. Condolences to the family and donations may be made through WallaceFuneralHome.com