Born at VGH, Violet was a lifelong resident of Vancouver. She spent her early years at 843 Keefer and was a parishioner of Sacred Heart Church, attending their elementary school as well. Always the star pupil, Violet remained lifelong friends with the school’s nuns. As a teenager, her family moved to 1863 Francis. She attended Templeton, Britannia, and Grandview High School of Commerce, working as a legal secretary much of her career. At home she was a skilled seamstress and fabulous cook.

Violet’s parents were of Lebanese descent and she took great pride in her heritage. Growing up in Vancouver, she was immersed in a vibrant Lebanese community and in 1965 was a founding member of the Lebanese Canadian Society. She was honoured by this society last year with a ceremony in QE Park.

A member of the Jericho Tennis Club, Violet met her future husband, Edwin (Ted) Smith in 1954. They married in 1967. Violet was a devoted wife and incredible mother to her children, Michael (wife Carolyn), and Kathy (husband Shane); loved dearly by her grandchildren, James, Natalie, and Isaiah. She was a kind, selfless, caring, endlessly attentive, and boundlessly loving woman. Violet deeply loved the Lord Jesus, her family, her culture, and her friends. She was always the life of the party!