Police officer, insurance adjuster, municipal official, community activist.
Born at Ottawa, Ontario on 16 July 1934 to Ivy May Ross (1916-1982) and George Hector Smith (1913-1978), he attended Borden School in Ottawa, and Alliston High School at Camp Borden, where his father was stationed in the army. After his graduation in 1952, he worked for a survey crew for the Department of Highways. In October 1955, he applied to the RCMP in Toronto and on 28 January 1955 was sworn into the Force.
His career in the RCMP spanned 24 years, with postings in Brandon, Virden, Wasagaming, Carberry, Minnedosa, Stonewall, Dauphin, and Portage la Prairie, where he was promoted to Sergeant. At Carberry, he met Shirley Jean Kennedy (1936-2018), who was employed there as a registered nurse. They married on 28 May 1960 and went on to have four children.
In March 1979, he retired from the RCMP and accepted a job as an insurance adjuster at the Portage Mutual Insurance Company. He worked at the Mutual for 23 years while devoting time to his community. He spent 18 years as a Councillor for the City of Portage la Prairie, serving on many committees and chairing five of them; nine years on the Portage Hospital Board; 10 years on the Yellowhead Highway Association, serving as President in 1991; and three years on the Portage Library Board. He was also a Director of ARC Industries, President of the Koko Platz Community Club, and a member of the Portage Minor Hockey Executive. Being a man of faith, he was involved with the fundraising committee of the Good Shepherd Parish at Portage la Prairie.
He died at Winnipeg on 9 September 2012 and was buried in the Hillside Cemetery at Portage la Prairie.
Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 12 September 2012.
“Ross George Hector Smith,” Phelan Charette Family Tree, Ancestry.
This page was prepared by Lois Braun.
Page revised: 16 September 2026
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