Donnette May Smith Longmore

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Today is a day we prayed would not come so early. The day where we come together, with heavy hearts, to say our final goodbyes to a remarkable mother, a devoted wife, supportive sister, protective aunt, and friend.

Donnette May Smith (lovingly known as Dawn) born on July 23 1967, to Millicent Veronica Byfield and Renford Smith in Kingston Jamaica at a time when the country was experiencing the growing pains of independence. In spite of this, Donnette Smith shared many fond memories of being raised by her grandmother Ms Beryl Byfield who Donnette would often remark, “ had the nicest yard in Greenwich Farm”.

Seeking a better life, at age 8, her mother moved Dawn and her sister Carol Smith from the paradise wrapped in political turmoil, to the more established and peaceful (albeit frigid) city of Toronto. Those early years in Jamaica however, would serve as the foundation for the personality we have come to know and love. As proof, she would rarely “chat Jamaican Patois” but it would come out when she got angry.

Similarly, if she heard someone at school was messing with her sister Sharon, the self professed home-body wouldn't hesitate to take a bus to the high school to handle that situation personally.

Music was never in short supply. As mentioned earlier, Donnette found joy in opting to stay in the house and only leaving when necessary. While at home a young Donnette would play her moms records and sing for hours to the Supremes, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Millie Jackson and Teddy Pendergrass. This love of music would carry throughout her life and become a mainstay.

Her next journey would take her from a young girl in Scarlett Wood Court into wife and motherhood in Tandridge Crescent. While many would look at Tandridge as not being the most savoury of neighbourhoods, God managed to position the family towards the large green fields, where the sun peaked over the canopy every morning. While the neighbourhoods and its drawbacks were placed out of view, many mornings the family was greeted by fields of geese, deer, rare birds and low slung fog.

This would serve as the backdrop for the majority of the 1990’s, where music was constantly playing in the house (partly because electricity was free). Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Toni Braxton, Celine Dion, Luther Vandross, Freddie Jackson ensured her guests knew quality music when they heard it. For kids in the neighbourhood, Dawn’s house was the go-to house for the latest music and Dawn became an aunt to many, teaching many how to ride a bike and even wiping their runny noses during the colder season.

In subsequent years, Dawn became a primary investor in her husband's business, preparing multiple meals for the day and often spending countless hours assisting while working her regular day job. And for her kids, she was a shoulder to cry on and an ear to listen when life got complicated during the awkward years.

This theme of selflessness, sacrifice and advocacy carried through until her last moments. As a grandmother to Ryan, Kyrie, Mayson and Myles, Dawn acted as a second Mom often assisting her daughter Shauna by dropping the kids to school, taking them to practice, tucking them in at night and teaching them how to pray before they fell asleep.

For the men of the house, every weekday morning started with a lovingly prepared lunch for her husband Hugh and sons (Daniel and Damian). As John and Daniel left for work, she would send them off with a tight hug, a kiss on the cheek and well-wishes for the day.

In these last days, the rhythm and blues that served as the soundtrack of previous years was replaced with Christian Contemporary Music. The popular songs of love and heartbreak were replaced with church livestreams and recorded church sermons.

Today we celebrate a woman who has left us far sooner than any of us wanted.

We all wish we had more time

More hugs

More laughs

More memories

More Smiles

Yet we give thanks to our Lord for the short time we did have with Dawn.

A beautiful woman who was never vain

An elegant woman who was warm and approachable

A woman of standards who embodied self-sacrifice

A mother

Wife

Sister

Aunt

And Friend

Donnette is survived by:

Her Husband: Hugh Longmore

Her two children: Daniel and Shauna

Her four grandchildren

Her 5 siblings

And countless nieces and nephews who refer to her as Aunty Dawn.

We feel the pain of her absence

Such a presence can never be replaced

She will always be loved

She will be greatly missed.