Obituary of Dawn (Bunny) Lily SMITH (nee Pearce)

March 21, 1946 – Edmonton, Alberta
June 25, 2021 – Calgary, Alberta

It is with many cherished memories, we say goodbye to our beloved mother, sister, grandmother and friend, Dawn (Bunny) Lily Smith of Calgary, AB, who passed away gracefully on Friday, June 25, 2021 at the age of 75 years. 

Bunny was born in Edmonton, Alberta, on March 21, 1946.  She and her family moved to Calgary, Alberta, when she was 4 years old.
 
Bunny dedicated her life to her family and she cherished taking care of them.  She was a remarkably gifted listener, helper and trusted friend who gave much comfort and gentle compassion. Her favorite thing in life was being a grandma.  Bunny loved hosting elaborate yearly Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving and birthday parties with her two sisters.

In her working life, Bunny was a successful sales agent with Fancy Pak, and Recycled Paper Greeting Cards, winning several achievement awards and sales benchmarks.  She is fondly remembered throughout the Alberta retail stores community for her bubbly, kind personality and outstanding work ethic.

Bunny was particularly proud of her volunteer achievements. With two young daughters, Bunny enjoyed volunteering as a Brown Owl Leader for the Girl Guides of Canada. Bunny was also an active member of Calgary Rotary North and as a Rotary Ann for the Downtown Calgary Rotary. Her most beloved volunteer work was serving as a member of the Grandstand Committee for the Calgary Stampede.  

Bunny married the love of her life Carl Smith in 2001. They enjoyed many happy years traveling around the world to France, Tanzania, Rwanda, South Africa, Kenya, Galapagos Island, Machu Picchu, and Antarctica where they camped one night with the penguins. Bunny and Carl also loved spending time at their cottage at Lake Windermere where they hiked, biked and skied with family. In her earlier years, she and Ellis raised their daughters with lots of singing and dancing through their love of the Calgary Stampede, holidays in Hawaii and every summer in Penticton camping, playing at the beach, water skiing and spending time on their houseboat at Shuswap Lake with dear friends.

Bunny felt a deep connection to nature.  On hikes, she would often find a tree to hug or tree stump to stand upon for a moment of contemplation.  She was a lover of all animals particularly the wolf and spent time learning about their habitat and ways of life.  In line with her link with nature, Bunny loved gardening. Gardening for Bunny included planting vegetable and flower gardens at both their Windermere cottage and Calgary home.  

Cooking was a joy for Bunny who was up for any gourmet-level cooking challenge. Bunny was a dedicated believer in personal health and nutrition, and she was ahead of her time in using whole grain over white bread and she used organic food long before it was mainstream. Bunny baked every birthday cake and cookie batch from scratch, often substituting in healthier ingredients. She happily supported local food vendors and she was a regular at the Calgary Farmer’s Market, browsing the vendors while sipping a coffee. 

Bunny is survived by her two daughters and son-in-law, Hilary and Bob Busch of Portland, Oregon, and Marci Andrews of Calgary, Alberta; her two grandsons, Ujia Busch and Macklin Andrews; her daughters’ father Ellis Andrews of Oliver, BC; her two sisters and brother-in-law, Denise and Rob Grigg, and Dianne Pearce all of Calgary, Alberta; several nieces and nephews and grandnieces and nephews, Carly Grigg (Chuck) of Victoria, BC, Abbie and Colin Coros, Ellie and Charles of Edmonton, Alberta, Chris Grigg and Nicholas, William, and Lily of Calgary, Alberta. Bunny is also survived by her Smith Family: Doug and Teresa Smith, Steve and Diana Smith, and Bill and Melanie Smith; and her grandchildren, Lianne (Tom), Michael (Lisa), Alexandra, Jameson, Alayna, Jenae, and Jada.  Bunny is also survived by her extended family, George and Margorie Brookman, Ellen and Tom Mathews, and her cousins Leslie, Drew, Susan and Tony Bremness. Bunny was predeceased by her beloved husband Carl Smith, her parents Joan and Denis Pearce; her nephew, Chris Walker; her mothers-in-law Nita Kelly and Allie Robichaud; aunt Joan Bremness; her cousin Adrian Bremness; and her beloved furry/feathery family Beverly, Mr. and Mrs. Finch, Madison, and Olivia. 

A Celebration of Life for family will be held on Saturday, July 3, 2021. 

If friends so desire, in lieu of flowers, memorial tributes may be made directly to Reset Society of Calgary, https://resetcalgary.ca/, The Alzheimer Society of Calgary, 800, 7015 Macleod Trail S.W., Calgary, AB  T2H 2K6, Telephone: (403)290-0110, www.alzheimercalgary.com, or the Northern Lights Wolf Center, https://northernlightswildlife.com/. 

In living memory of Dawn (Bunny) Smith, a tree will be planted in the Ann & Sandy Cross Conservation Area by McINNIS & HOLLOWAY FUNERAL HOMES, Fish Creek, 14441 Bannister Road SE, Calgary, AB T2X 3J3, Telephone: 403-256-9575.