Obituaries

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our mom, grandma and great-grandma, Sandra Faye “Sandy” Smith (née Huber), on August 18, 2026, surrounded by family and held close in the hearts of those who could not be at her side.

Mom left this world knowing just how deeply she was loved. Family was with her at her side and in her heart, even when they couldn't physically be there. Her daughter Roanna was able to hold her as she took her final breath. Not long afterward, as the family was together outside, a falling star streaked across the sky. We took it as Mom sending us a very clear message that she was okay. And, as we laughed through our tears, it was the fastest she had moved in years.

That combination of love and laughter was Mom.

Mom was formerly married to Ron Smith. Divorce may have ended their marriage, but it certainly didn't end their relationship. They remained an important part of each other's lives and even had properties next to one another at Highwood Beach. They got along just fine - they had simply figured out that they couldn't live together. It was an arrangement that was uniquely theirs, and somehow it worked.

More than anything in this world, Mom loved her family.

Her family wasn't simply part of her life - it was the centre of it. Nothing made Mom prouder than her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She followed what everyone was doing, celebrated their accomplishments and worried about them when things weren't going quite right. And if you spent any amount of time talking with Mom, there was a very good chance you were going to hear about her family. She loved telling people about all of us. She was enormously proud of the family she had built, and watching it grow over the years brought her incredible happiness.

She is survived by her brother Woody (Vickie), and their children Steven (Colleen), Rhonda (John), and Joanne (Brent).

Mom was the incredibly proud mother of three children: Cindy Fuchs (Wade), Roanna Conway (Adam), and Brent Smith (Lorelei).

Her pride only grew with the next generation. She was a very proud grandmother to Cindy and Wade's children Derek (Jamie), Chanda (James), and Alana (Josh); Roanna's children Logan (Christina) and Hayden; and Brent and Lorelei's children Forrest (Brooklyn), Kelsey (JJ), and Jaxon.

Then came another generation for Mom to love - and another group of people for her to proudly tell everyone about. She was blessed with 11 great-grandchildren: Myla, Ava, Liam, Burkley, Ada, Tayten, Etsyn, Lula, Ever, Scottie and Olivia. Watching her family grow from three children to grandchildren and then great-grandchildren was one of the greatest joys of her life.

Family was always first, but Mom also placed tremendous value on her friendships. She treasured the friends she made throughout her life and had a remarkable ability to stay connected with people. Whether at the lake, at home or out visiting, Mom genuinely enjoyed people. Her friends were an important part of her life, and those relationships meant the world to her.

And then there was the music.

Anyone who ever spent time with Mom knew there was a very good chance a radio would be playing in the background, usually tuned to 620 CKRM. Music wasn't just something she listened to - it was part of who she was. She taught all of us about the power of music to bring people together, create memories, get us through difficult days and make the good days even better.

While it is fair to say that no one in the family inherited much musical talent, Mom made sure all of us inherited a profound appreciation for music. Country music in particular became part of our family. The songs and artists she introduced us to became the soundtrack to kitchen tables, road trips, parties, campfires and summers at the lake. Her love of music has influenced all of our lives, and that is something that will continue through the generations.

And if country music was playing on the radio, there was a good chance the Saskatchewan Roughriders were being discussed not far behind.

Mom was a lifelong Rider fan, through the good years and, as every Rider fan knows, plenty of the other ones. After a loss, you could almost guarantee the next conversation would begin with “those damn Riders,” followed by Mom's breakdown of exactly what had gone wrong and what they should have done differently.

She was there in Toronto for the unforgettable 1989 Grey Cup victory and somehow ended up on the players' plane for the celebration on the way home - a story that suited Mom perfectly. Twenty-four years later, she was there again, this time with family, for the historic 2013 Grey Cup in Regina, watching the Riders win a championship at home.

Her favourite Riders were two of the greatest to ever wear green and white, Ron Lancaster and George Reed. In one of those wonderful twists life sometimes gives us, during her time at The Williston, Mom became friends with Angie Reed. It was a friendship Mom valued tremendously and, naturally, one she talked about often.

The Riders gave Mom something else she could share with her family - games to watch, victories to celebrate, losses to complain about and stories that became part of our family history. We're pretty certain that sometime during the next Rider loss, more than one of us will hear Mom's voice saying exactly what we're all thinking: “Those damn Riders.”

Mom also had an incredible love for flowers, gardening and her yard. Spring was something she genuinely looked forward to - the chance to get outside, get her hands in the dirt and begin another season of planting and nurturing the flowers and plants she loved. She took exceptional pride in a beautiful, manicured yard, and anyone who visited knew how much time, care and love she put into making everything look just right.

As Mom's body aged and some of the things she had always done became more difficult, she simply refused to give up that passion. She found a way to keep planting, tending and caring for her flowers because of the happiness it brought her. Watching something she had planted grow and bloom filled her heart. Her flowers were another reflection of Mom herself - something she nurtured, took tremendous pride in and couldn't wait to share with the people around her.

Spring will feel a little different without Mom planning what she was going to plant, but we know there will always be a little bit of her in every garden we grow.

Mom was quite simply the life of the party. She loved people, she loved socializing, and she loved having family and friends together. Perhaps even more importantly, she taught all of us the art of properly entertaining. If people were coming over, Mom believed you fed them, made them comfortable, turned on some music and made sure everyone had a good time.

She loved to cook and was famous in the family for her homemade soup. It was always excellent, although asking for the recipe wasn't particularly useful because no two pots ever turned out exactly the same.

In recent years, Mom made her home at The Williston Independent Living in Regina, where she enjoyed the people and friendships around her. Our family had been preparing for her transition to Trinity in Regina, a move we all hoped would begin another chapter for her.

But if you asked where Mom's heart truly was, the answer was easy: Highwood Beach and the lake.

The lake, her place at the beach, her family, her friends, her flowers, good food, country music and a house - or patio - full of people were the things that made Mom happiest. Highwood Beach wasn't simply somewhere she spent her summers. It was part of who she was. The family's greatest memories were created there with Mom.

Mom leaves behind a large family, many wonderful friends, countless stories and more than a few traditions that will continue whether we realize they came from her or not.

She taught us that family should get together often, that friends should always feel welcome, that there is no such thing as too much food when you're entertaining, that flowers are worth fussing over, that country music sounds better at the lake, that Rider losses should be thoroughly analyzed, and that sometimes the best recipes are the ones you never bother writing down.

But more than anything, Mom taught us to be proud of our family. She certainly was. We always knew how proud she was of us because she told us - and just about anyone else who would listen.

We weren't ready to say goodbye to Mom. But we are grateful that, in the end, she was able to do it her way - surrounded by the family she loved so deeply, with those who couldn't be there held just as closely in her heart.

And when we look up on a clear night and see a falling star moving just a little faster than the others, we'll know exactly who it is.

Our family will forever be grateful to the ICU team at the Regina Pasqua Hospital who cared for Mom. Their compassion, kindness and extraordinary care extended not only to her, but to all of us as we stayed and slept at her side during her final days. They allowed us to simply be a family when that was what we needed most.

We would love for family and friends to help us celebrate Mom’s life through the memories they captured with her. If you have a favourite photo of Mom - or a photo that brings back a special memory - please email photos to: gramsan@ourskylight.com

A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date for family only.

In lieu of flowers, those wishing to honour Mom's memory are invited to make a donation to the Saskatchewan Roughrider Foundation or Lung Sask - two causes that reflect both something she loved deeply and the illness she fought so courageously.