March 14, 1979 - August 12, 2021
Celebration of Senetina's Life ~
Curtis William Thomas Smith was born at the Whitehorse General Hospital to parents Rose-Marie Blair and Tommy Smith on March 14, 1979 (though he always said his sister, Joleene, raised him!). Senetina was Curtis' Northern Tutchone name given to him at birth by his grandmother, Mary Blair.
When Senetina was young, he was a long-distance runner and enjoyed being out at Canyon Creek with unlimited space to run, and spending time with his family there. He was an artist and loved being able to draw what he had in his head. He also had his own motorcycle that he rode so often that his toenails curled from dragging his feet.
Senetina loved to tell stories, was very intelligent, and had an amazing memory, accurately remembering nearly everything he heard. He always enjoyed taking language courses and was very proficient in English and would write the stories and essays for others in college.
He loved to write songs and stories about how life could be painful or that were filled with humour, and information that he found important, specifically about hockey, conspiracy theories, and current affairs. He was very philosophical with his thoughts and people always enjoyed reading what he wrote.
If someone needed to talk about their issues in life, Senetina would listen without judgement. He was always concerned about others' wellbeing and this created deep relationships with his family and friends. He was known as an exceptional listener.
In his twenties, Senetina and Denise Linklater lived in Whitehorse and had two children, Daniel and Amy Rose. Denise would often make home movies of the adventures that starred their kids; his brother, Jacob; their nieces; and of course, Senetina.
These adventures include road trips to BC, rock climbing, cook outs, playing baseball in the backyard, swimming at Takhini hot springs, and more.
Senetina loved to go on road trips around the territory, NWT and BC to experience different cultures. He did not like to travel by air; however, he flew to Oahu, Hawaii with his children, and ten other close family members.
He enjoyed the holiday, and it made him especially proud of his family. He called them "water spirits" as many hours were spent swimming in the ocean. He watched from the shore and worried that he wouldn't be able to rescue his family in the water should anything happen as he could not swim, showing how deeply he cared for us all.
Curtis had a love for computers, watching and cheering for the Edmonton Oilers, talking to his family and friends over text or email, and getting into long discussions with others about Marvel comics and movies. He loved dogs and had many animal friends throughout his life. He would say, "You can trust dogs more than people," and appreciated how they had honest emotions.
We would like to express our gratitude for all the support provided by family, relatives, friends, and the Champagne Aishihik and White River First Nations during this difficult time. Tommy Smith and Rose-Marie Blair-Isberg and family truly appreciate the outpouring of love and kindness from the bottom of our hearts, and can say that Senetina was put away in a good way with those who loved him dearly.