Ms. Georgina Ellen Blanshard, age 72 of Thunder Bay, Ontario passed away at home on February 11th 2024.
Georgina, who was more fondly known as Geo, was born on January 12th 1952 in Thunder Bay, Ontario to Errol and Clara Blanshard. The family spent time living in Thunder Bay and in the nearby Candy Mountain area. After graduating from Sir Winston Churchill highschool, she found a job working as a security guard for a time.
It was in Thunder Bay that she began a career as a Red Cross Homemaker and then a VON Homecare worker for about 20 years in total. When she was younger she loved to raise horses and cats and enjoyed music from The Beatles and Elvis Presley. In 1979 she met Robert Smith who she later married in 1981 and together they went on to have 2 sons, Rafer and Logan.
After retiring from the VON, Geo continued to keep herself busy by volunteering at St. Luke’s Anglican Church until it was closed down in 2015 and she then continued her volunteering at St. Thomas’ until 2020 when she was moved into Long Term Care at Hogarth Riverview Manor.
She dedicated much of her time to raising her two sons to the best of her ability. Geo was an outspoken and energetic individual although she enjoyed scrapbooking and reading about the Royal family in the United Kingdom. She was a very religious person, which she passed down to her son Rafer. In 2017 she proudly became a grandmother for the first time, and in the same year travelled over to England to visit and celebrate her first grandchild. She preferred to be called Nanny G. She was able to spend time with her first grandchild when her son Rafer and family made visits to Canada in 2018 and 2019. Her second grandchild was born in 2020 and although she was not able to meet him in person, she used technology to keep in touch and was able to ‘see’ him throughout the year in this way.
Geo was predeceased by her father Errol, her mother Clara and ex-husband Robert Smith.
She is survived by her sons Logan and Rafer, her daughter-in-law Karina, and her grandchildren Skylah Grace and Nicholas Robert.
Geo will be greatly missed and fondly remembered by her family and friends as a mother, a friend, and a grandmother.
Cremation has taken place and a Celebration of Life will be held at a later date.
Arrangements have been entrusted to the WESTFORT CHAPEL, 420 Gore Street West at James.
Please sign the online condolences at everestofthunderbay.com
