SMITH, Frank E.
Age 84, died at Anne L. Duggan’s Care Home, on Monday, January 1st, 2007, following a courageous battle with cancer.
He was born October 15, 1922, in the town of Parksville, British Columbia, to the late Ed and Violet Smith. After graduating from Qualicum Beach High School, he joined the Air Force, with his ham-radio experience, to research radar development in the Second World War. In 1944, he was the only Canadian chosen to work on the radar research with a small group of British scientists.
After his 5 years with the Air Force, he went on to continue his studies at the University of British Columbia in September of 1945. After completing his Bachelor of Science, he went on and completed the Masters program and by 1951 had completed his thesis, and joined the Electronics Lab in Ottawa.
He has had more accomplishments in his life than what would fit in this obituary. Some highlights are: when he built the first TV on Vancouver Island, while he was attending UBC. He worked on the ‘Allouette I’, Canada’s first satellite. He started a communication program at Queen’s University, which went on to be the leading edge in research into radio physics. He became the first director of the Radar Research Laboratory, a new sector of the CRC, in 1974-1978. He also worked on the Canadarm, one of the more recent Canadian space projects. Some of his more recent studies in Chaos Mathematics. This is just a glimpse of his accomplishments.But Frank was not just centred on his profession. He always would think of other people before himself. He was very interested in music, and was a great clarinet player. He had an amazing sense of humor, and could put a smile on anybody.
He is survived by Cousin Marie (John) McFadyen, and their daughters Marnie and Laura. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by brother Victor Roy. He is further survived by his colleagues, and close friends the World Family, and his neighbours.
By his request there will be no service.
We thank Anne L. Duggan’s Care Home for their excellent care. For more information about his work with radar, please visit www.friendsofcrc.ca.