Harry L Smith visiting a refugee camp
A darling of social media died last night after a brief battle with pneumonia. For a change Harry Leslie Smith deserved to have a broad following, with a quarter of a million people around the world following him on Twitter. Harry was 95, so he had an excellent run in this life and he was mentally sharp to the end.
Harry's story was both ordinary and fascinating. He grew up in poverty in the York region of Great Britain and at the age of seven he was supporting his family. As a serviceman in WWII he saw first hand the desperation of refugees displaced by conflict. He met his wife Friede in Germany but they realized that they needed to leave England because of the antipathy toward "the enemy." So the guy with the generic British name emigrated to Canada with his bride and began a plain Scarborough life. They prospered in a middle class way, buying a home, raising three kids, retiring comfortably. Friede died almost twenty years ago and Harry began writing books. He wasn't so ordinary after all, offering heartfelt, insightful commentary on his own good fortune, the grim realities of poverty, the challenges for younger people today, and the need for compassion toward the plight of others. He was a big supporter of the Canadian initiative to bring refugees from Syria to this country for a new life.
Harry and Friede
Even though Harry spent a good part of his life in this country he had a huge fan base in his native Britain. Many Brits figured he still lived there. In his last years Harry resided here in Belleville and died here. I regret not inviting him to speak to the dedicated team of volunteers from a number of faith groups which brought a passel of Syrians to this town.
Thanks Harry, for your ordinary, extraordinary life.The world is a better place because of you.
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