UPEI extends condolences on the passing of Professor Emeritus John W. Smith

John William Smith
August 10, 1927–March 16, 2018

Our beloved John died peacefully on Friday evening.

First Poet Laureate of Prince Edward Island
Professor Emeritus at UPEI

Poet, father, grandfather, teacher, friend.
Woods walker, bird watcher, squirrel feeder.
Rare and ineffably kind.
Knowledge that spanned the universe.
Generosity of spirit.
Beloved.

The University of Prince Edward Island community extends sincere condolences to the family, friends, and former students and colleagues of Professor Emeritus and former Dean of Arts John W. Smith, who passed away on March 16. The flags will be flown at half-mast in his memory.

Professor Emeritus Smith taught at UPEI for 25 years as Professor of English prior to his retirement in 1992. In 2003, he was appointed by the Prince Edward Island Legislative Assembly to a two-year term as PEI’s first Poet Laureate. Seven collections of his poetry have been published, including Maps of Invariance in 2005, and Fireflies in the Magnolia Grove in 2004, which was also shortlisted for the Atlantic Poetry Prize in 2005. In 2006, the University of Prince Edward Island produced a pair of CD/DVD sets under the series title “Island Voices”. One set of disks featured readings by the then-Poet Laureate Frank Ledwell (1930-2008); the other featured Professor Emeritus Smith.

Visitation will be held Saturday, March 24, 2018 from 2–4 pm at the Hillsboro Funeral Home, 2 Hollis Avenue, Stratford. No flowers by request of family.