Bill Smith, long-term Blackburn Hamlet resident and volunteer passed away on September 20, 2015 at the age of 75.
Some of you may not know Bill personally, but we have all benefitted from his enormous sense of community.
Over the years, Bill served on the BCA executive, worked on Fun Fairs, Community Spring Cleanup days, the NCC garden plots and advocated for protection of the NCC Greenbelt, spearheading the Save The Greenbelt committee when the NCC considered disposing of lands around Blackburn. Some of you may still have the old signs in your garage.
He also quietly went about helping others behind the scenes and continued to lovingly maintain the flowers at the Blackburn Hamlet sign you pass as you enter the Hamlet from the east.
His service to the community and his penchant for puns will be sorely missed.
John Cameron was born and raised in Bathurst, New Brunswick playing various sports and excelling in hockey, football and weightlifting. He left his role as Chief of the Hartland Police Force to take a position at Canada Customs and settled in Blackburn Hamlet where he and his wife, Sherrill, raised their three boys.
John spent many hours as a volunteer coaching Blackburn minor hockey and was a volunteer worker at the Gloucester Sports Club, as well as running the cafeteria at the Earl Armstrong Arena.
His greatest pride was in knowing that no matter what the boys he coached did he knew they were learning valuable skills that they could carry forth into their future.
John was also a keen supporter of the Blackburn Men’s Fastball League and the Blackburn Ladies Softball League.
John passed away on July 28, 2015 at age 70 years. Sadly his wife, Sherrill had passed away in September, 2013 at age 69 years.
Trophies in John’s memory have been donated to both the Blackburn Mens Fastball and Ladies Softball Leagues.
