Craig Smith, a longtime CFL scout, passed away at the untimely age of 69 after a long and brave cancer battle, leaving his longtime wife, Cathy, and his loved ones devastated.
Smith was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in October 2017 while working as a national scout for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
Though his cancer entered remission following a stem cell transplant, the harsh treatment led to a number of other health complications, including congestive heart failure.
Furthermore, his longtime wife, Catherine ‘Cathy’, announced his death on social media on Sunday afternoon.
Honoring her late husband and recalling his memories, Cathy shared a beautiful picture of them with their dog, Lexi, and wrote:
“My heart breaks today as my best friend and love of my life, and Lexi’s dad, passed away earlier this morning. I am thankful that you greeted me with your beautiful blue eyes on Friday morning and kisses. I am grateful that you were able to watch some football on the NFL Network earlier in the day. I am thankful that we got to spend this one more day together, where we were able to tell one another we loved each other throughout the day.”
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She further added:
“You had previously said you would like to watch a couple more games so on Saturday I put the Colts-Bengals game on and then changed to the TSN broadcast for the CFL games. I believe you heard these games.I love you so much my sweetie and we will see each other again one day on the other side.”
Cathy Smith stood by Craig Smith’s side as his constant supporter throughout his battle with cancer.
She also accompanied Craig on many of his scouting excursions and helped him in both his professional and personal life.
Furthermore, Craig Smith often expressed his love and appreciation for his longtime wife, Cathy, as he stated that she was the one who supported him in pursuing his dreams.
The couple lived an adventurous and happy life; both being avid sports fans, they often attended several hockey, baseball, and football games.
Craig also never missed a chance to express his love for Cathy on social media.
On Valentine’s Day, late Craig Smith shared a beautiful picture of his wife, Cathy, with thier dog Lexi and wrote:
“I thank God every day for blessing me with this woman. ❤️ Little Lexi is icing on the cake 🍰 ❤️ I am so fortunate!”
Craig Smith
Late Craig Smith and His Longtime Wife, Cathy, Were Happily Married For Nearly Four Decades
Craig Smith passed away a few weeks shy of his 40th wedding anniversary with longtime wife, Cathy Smith.
Craig Smith married Cathy on September 14, 1985, and by the early 90s, the couple moved to Vancouver.
Furthermore, Craig Smith and his wife, Cathy, both worked at the University of British Columbia, where Cathy was a customer service representative and Craig was a computer operator.
The couple overcame numerous obstacles together.”Cathy made sacrifices,” said Craig Smith in an interview.
Cathy Smith is a cancer survivor; she got breast cancer in 1997 and bravely overcame it.
Despite her battle with Cancer, Cathy Smith encouraged Craig to pursue his dreams.
“She said, ‘Go for your dream, because you never know when it could end.’ The philosophy was ‘go for that goal.’ and we did. It paid off,” said Craig, appreciating his wife.
On their 39th wedding anniversary, the late Craig Smith shared a post on his Instagram featuring several pictures of them and wrote:
“Happy Anniversary Sweetie! My best friend. 39 years. Let’s add to that total. Thanks for being you. Love you! ❤️🍾🥂.”
Craig Smith
The couple lived happily for decades, loving each other in Regina, Saskatchewan.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- Late Craig Smith, born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, began his CFL career as an offensive quality control coach with the B.C. Lions in 2000.
- He also served as the director of player personnel at the Saskatchewan Roughrider Football Club and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
