Smith, Gordon Carington

Gordon Carington Smith 1906 - 1974

Family, dedication to the Canadian Armed Forces, and Tadoussac, were the most important things in the life of Gordon Carington Smith.
Gordon was born in 1906 in Quebec City to Robert Harcourt Smith and Mary Valliere Gunn Smith. He was the second of three sons. His older brother was Alexander (Lex) and his younger brother was Guy.
They enjoyed a happy childhood growing up on Grande Allée in the English area of Quebec City. In 1911 the family purchased Dufferin House and so began the family love affair with Tadoussac.
Following the family tradition, Gordon was educated at Bishop’s College School in Lennoxville, and the Royal Military College in Kingston, from which he graduated in 1927. He completed his engineering degree at McGill in 1929.
Immediately, Gordon joined the Royal Canadian Artillery and was appointed a Lieutenant with the Royal Canadian Horse Artillery with which he remained until the beginning of World War II when he joined the staff of General Worthington and participated in the formation of the Royal Canadian Armoured Corps at Camp Borden.
On April 30, 1941, while on his way to England to begin his war service, Gordon’s ship the S.S. Nerissa was torpedoed off the coast of Ireland. He was rescued and proceeded to London. Gordon then served in the Italian Campaign and was twice wounded in action, once while second in command of the British Columbia Dragoons. He served in the liberation of France and ended the war at the Canadian General Reinforcement Unit in Britain.
He returned to Canada and his first posting was in Halifax, followed by Kingston, Washington DC, and his final posting was in Ottawa. He received an Honorary Discharge in March 1959.
Following his retirement, Gordon and his family moved to Halifax where he joined the architectural firm of Dumaresq and Byrne. He was a loyal board member of the Canadian Corps of Commissionaires, the Royal Commonwealth Society, and the United Institute of Canada.
In 1933 Gordon married Jacqueline Dumaresq of Halifax. They had two children, a son Arthur Harcourt Carington Smith in 1934, and a daughter Eve D’Auvergne Smith in 1939. Also, five grandchildren, Gordon and Christopher Smith and Donald, Janet and Ted McInnes.
After family and career, Gordon’s main love was Tadoussac. Whenever possible he and his family would make the trip to Tad. He had sold his share of Dufferin House to Guy Smith in the 1930s so he and his family enjoyed many different cottages. His pride and joy, was his Cape Island boat, Penwa. He was never happier than being in Tad and spending time with his extended family, especially his two beloved brothers. That was his heaven!
Gordon died in Halifax in 1974, aged sixty-eight, and is buried there in Fairview Cemetery.

Eve Wickwire