Obituary of Lois Marguerite (Redden) Smith

Our Lois, of Vaughan, Hants Co., passed away peacefully in Valley Regional Hospital on Saturday, May 10, 2025, with her loved ones by her side, one month to the day after her 95th birthday. Lois was born on the family farm in Martock, Hants Co., on April 10, 1930, the 10th of 15 children of the late Neil and Winnifred (Taylor) Redden. She was the last surviving member of her immediate family.

Lois married Johnnie Smith on September 22, 1953, in Martock, with 125 guests in attendance to celebrate the occasion. They then moved into the Smith family home in Lower Vaughan where she resided for 72 years until her passing.

Her first jobs were at the Hantsport Cannery, the Windsor Tribune and supporting the Smith family’s sawmill in the area. However, most of her working life was volunteering for local community groups, women’s auxiliaries, her local church and numerous other causes throughout Hants County.

When Lo was still behind the wheel, she was constantly on the go to card parties and game nights (she was a pro at 45’s, checkers and crokinole), church functions and fundraisers. When she was at home it was still difficult to reach her as her phone line almost always rang busy (often when entering her house you had to be careful not to get hung up on the 10’ phone cord which stretched across her dining room and kitchen). Our dear Lois was the epitome of a social butterfly.

A pillar of her local community, she was the unofficial historian for the greater Lower Vaughan area and for her very large family. She was a wealth of information and was happy to recount many stories and events that happened through her long life. In later years she would often say her memory wasn’t as good as it used to be, but there weren’t too many times that her recall failed her.

Lois is survived by niece, Cheryl (Rick), Martock; great-niece, Cari (Jesse) and great-great niece Charlie, all of Beaver Bank; sisters-in-law, Shirley, Eleanor, Carol, Gwen, Ruth, Mary, Pat and Dorothy; and many, many cherished nieces and nephews.

Besides her parents, she was predeceased by her husband of 54 years, Johnnie Smith; all 14 of her siblings, Bruce, Sam and Alice (twins), Marjorie, Ernest and Laurie (twins), Milford, John, Clarie, Gordon, Bob and Reg (twins), Mary and Vernon. May the circle be unbroken as she joins the rest of her family.

One of her nieces summed up “Aunt Loey” perfectly, “she was always happy to see family and friends and many whom she considered family (which she had an abundance of), share big hugs, smiled often, had a sweet tooth (she loved her fudge) and was a favourite aunt of many nieces and nephews.” Another niece wrote, “her nieces and nephews who have been blessed to call her “Auntie” over the years thank her for being a generous and loving aunt, knowing all of our birthdays and mother figure to many.” She will always be remembered for having the Redden “twinkle” in her eye and a big bright smile.

A special thank you to Marina, Lillian and Michelle, her kind and compassionate caregivers who made it possible for her to stay in her home over recent years. Also, to the staff of the Valley Regional Hospital, where her stay was very short, your attention, kindness and caring was very appreciated.

To learn more about Lois’ early life growing up on the family farm in Martock, please visit bit.ly/lois-redden-family-farm.

Arrangements have been entrusted to DeMont Family Funeral Home & Cremation Service, 419 Albert St., Windsor (902-798-8317), where visitation will be held 6:00 - 8:00 p.m., Thursday, May 15. A funeral service will take place at 11 a.m., Friday, May 16 in the funeral home chapel, Pastor Craig Faulkner officiating. Burial will be held in the Vaughan United Cemetery, New Ross Rd., Vaughan. Donations in memory of Lois may be made to Vaughan United Church, C/O Leah Rissesco, 1653 New Ross Rd., Vaughan, NS B0N 2T0 or a charity of one’s choice. Messages of condolence may be sent to the family by visiting: www.demontfamilyfuneralhome.ca.