Dr. Richard “Dick” Smith

Dr. Richard “Dick” Smith

It is with heavy hearts our family announces the peaceful passing of our beloved husband, father, grandfather, dentist, and ‘character’ at Whitehorse General Hospital with family by his side, on January 7, 2026.

Dick was born in Edmonton and spent much of his youth moving from city to city in Alberta and British Columbia with his parents, Edith Marguerite Condie Smith and Ralph Harford Smith. As an only child, his early school days were spent in a private school in Victoria BC, when his father went to war for seven (7) years. It was here that he developed a distaste for turnips, being served twice daily and cold at breakfast the following day. Friends and family knew better than to ever serve him turnips for dinner!

Dick fulfilled his childhood dream of becoming a dentist, beginning his studies at University of Washington in Seattle and graduating from the University of Winnipeg in 1964. He practiced Public Health dentistry throughout Manitoba, and General dentistry in Strathroy, Ontario and lastly in Yukon Territory from 1997 until retirement in 2017.

Dick met the love of his life and best friend Cheryl in Toronto, Ontario on his one and only blind date in 1974. They married in 1975 with Cheryl becoming bonus Mom to Dick’s two children from his first marriage – Megan and D’Arcy.

In 1997 Dick and Cheryl embarked on an exciting new adventure, fulfilling another of Dick and Cheryl’s life-long dreams. They packed up all their belongings and their beloved dogs and moved across the country to Yukon. Dick and Cheryl quickly became part of the fabric of Whitehorse, building a vast group of friends and becoming active in the bridge community. Dick and Cheryl were also recognized as long time and devoted volunteers for many festivals, community, and sporting events.

They basked in their Yukon surroundings and took advantage of all the outdoors had to offer, including multi-day hikes on the Chilkoot Trail and the Dempster Mountains, in spite of Dick’s two hip replacements. Dick delighted in acting as a travel guide to the many family and friends that visited over the years. The incredible scenery and endless wildlife were an inspiration for his love of photography which he captured beautifully in many photo books. As a dear friend said, “Dick found his happy place.” His photo books also captured the many travels they embarked on during their time prior to and after their northern relocation.

Dick was a well-respected dentist in Yukon and thoroughly enjoyed travelling to many of the rural communities to provide general dental care and orthodontic treatment. Throughout his career, Dick continued his dental education in the field of orthodontics, sleep apnea, and temporal joint disorders (TMD). He spent his final few years of practice focused on the latter two specialties, while also devoting many years to his profession as President of the Yukon Dental Association. In 2015, he was elected to a fellow of the International College of Dentists.

Dick was also a dedicated “news junkie” and always up for a lively discussion on current news and events. He was also very well read, and had a quick wit about him. In his retirement years he became a Sudoku expert and spent much time playing on-line, especially as his mobility declined.

Dick leaves behind his wife of 50 years, Cheryl, and his children from his first marriage Megan (Ron) of London, Ontario and son D’Arcy (Judy) and grandson Matthew, of New Westminster BC. He will also be greatly missed by his extended group of friends and in-laws from across the country.

The Smith family would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the staff at Whitehorse General Hospital, Home Care and EMS for the thoughtful care, support and kindness offered to Dick over the past year.

 

A celebration of Dick’s Life was held in Whitehorse on Saturday, January 24th, 2026. In keeping with Dick’s wishes, he was cremated in Vancouver on January 26, 2026.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Humane Society Yukon or the Food Bank Society of Yukon, or a charity of your choice.