Obituary shared via Kettle Valley Memorial Services

December 17, 1968 - January 8, 2025

It is with heavy hearts that the family of Andrew Michael Smith announce his passing at Penticton Regional Hospital on Jan. 8, 2025. Andrew was born in Stockton-On-Tees, England, on December 17, 1968, to Brian and Eleanor Smith. He loved to play football (soccer) and cheer on his favorite teams (Liverpool and the Boro). He also had a natural ear for music, playing endless songs on the piano. He never learned to read music (much to his piano teacher’s dismay), however, he could take any song on the radio and just begin to play, blending one song into the next.

In 1981, he, along with his parents and younger sister, Lisa, emigrated to Saskatoon, SK. He attended Wildwood Elementary School and graduated from Walter Murray Collegiate Institute in 1986. He continued to play soccer but also developed a passion and talent for golf. He worked at Greenbryre, then Moon Lake Golf courses and earned his way onto the Saskatchewan Junior Men’s Golf team with his name regularly at the top of the boards.

He attended the U of S for one year before heading off to college in Alabama on a golf scholarship. After that, he moved to Victoria for a brief period before returning to Saskatoon. In 1993, he married Taryn Brown of Saskatoon, and in 1996, they (along with their beloved corgi, Brittany) made the move to Summerland, BC, which would become their home for the next 29 years. He worked as a golf pro at Summerland Golf Course for many years before changing careers to the Canada Revenue Agency. In 2002, they welcomed their beautiful daughter, Taylor Lee to the world. She was his pride and joy, and he did not waste any time teaching her how to golf, and play piano and guitar. They enjoyed trips to Manning Park, Mexico and Florida, and spent countless hours down by the Okanagan Lake with their corgis, Mike, then later Meghan.

When he wasn’t on the golf course, he loved to spend time with friends camping, fishing, and curling. He also loved hanging out with his nephew and nieces, Robbie, Rachelle, Alison and Heather. Andrew passed away peacefully at Penticton Regional Hospital with family at his side. We would like to thank the wonderful nurses for their genuine compassion and kindness. And words cannot express our heartfelt gratitude to his friends for their support to both Andrew and our family. Your stories and support have been heartwarming and appreciated more than we can say.

A Celebration of Life, led by Pastor and friend, Ron Freeman, will take place at the Summerland Baptist Church 10318 Elliott Street, Summerland, BC on Saturday February 15, 2025 at 11:00 am.

Andrew's colleague at Summerland Golf & Country Club, Life Professional Bryan Hart, shared some of his favourite memories of his friend:

"Andy preferred to be known as Andrew but for those of us who knew him that name was way too formal. He was a talented golfer with a deep interest in perfecting his swing. He was in constant search of perfection. Although he didn't play in many tournaments, he could play, which was obvious when he won the BC Interior Assistants tournament at Summerland shooting a score of -5 over two rounds defeating many prominent Assistant Pros from throughout the Interior and the Lower Mainland.

He was an accomplished teacher, club repairman, club builder and a favourite event organizer. One of his responsibilities when he started was to promote Ladies Night, which grew from about 30 ladies to sometimes around 100 because of his efforts, whether it was the weekly golf lesson or the musical entertainment. He was a true Golf Professional!"