Our Staff - Biographies

Born and raised in Burlington, Deb graduated from Aldershot High School before moving on to Sheridan College where she received her diploma in Medical Library Techniques. She has worked for Smith’s for the past 25 years, and is an active member of West Plains United Church in Aldershot.

Ashley was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and moved with her family to Phoenix, Arizona at the age of 6. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Business from Arizona State University in 2009. Following a year spent backpacking through the South West Pacific, the British Isles, and Germany, Ashley returned to Canada to continue her education. She graduated from Humber College’s Funeral Service Education program in 2017 and completed her internship in Toronto before joining the Smith’s team in July 2017. In her free time Ashley enjoys reading, hiking, and spending time with her English Springer Spaniel.

Born and raised in Burlington, Steve attended M.M. Robinson High School and began working at Smith’s after his co-op placement in 1995. Steve went on to attend Humber College in Toronto, and graduated from its Funeral Service Education program as a licensed funeral director in 1997. Steve is a member of the Men’s Group at the Ukrainian National Federation of Hamilton, St. Vladimir Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Hamilton, and a member of the baseball and dodgeball leagues at Average Joe Sports Club in Burlington.

Kassie grew up in Waterdown and attended Waterdown District High School before completing a BFA in Theatre Production at Ryerson University. She began her career in the arts and hospitality, working in Programming and Events at the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts.
During the pandemic, Kassie chose to pursue a new path and enrolled in the Funeral Service Education program at Humber College, becoming licensed in 2022. She began her funeral service career in Oakville before joining the team at Smith’s in 2026.  Kassie now resides in Dundas with her family and enjoys exploring the neighborhood with them. As part of the McMaster NICU community, Kassie also participates in the Canadian Premature Babies Foundation, supporting families and raising awareness.

Natasha was born and raised in Ancaster and graduated from Mohawk College with Honours in Early Childhood Education. She attends Marshall Memorial United Church where she sings in the church chancel choir, and in her spare time enjoys crocheting and reading. We welcomed Natasha to the Smith’s team in February 2018.

Nicole (Nikki) was born and raised in Truro, Nova Scotia and lived in the Annapolis Valley until moving to Ontario in 1988.  She returned to Nova Scotia to attend college for Computer Programming, and moved back to Ontario in 1992, where she settled in the beautiful Grimsby area.  Nikki worked in the service industry for over 30 years (fine dining & wineries) while also having her own business as a piano teacher (which she continues to do, but on a smaller scale). She currently lives with her family in Vineland, and is the Musical Director at St. John’s Anglican Church in Winona where she has been a member since 2005. Nikki joined the Smith’s team in December 2019 and looks forward to serving the community of Grimsby (and surrounding area) for many years to come.

Ireland was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Being born into a military family, Ireland spent most of her early life moving to different parts of Canada and the world. Her family settled in Drayton, Ontario in 2010, where Ireland attended and graduated from Elmira District Secondary School before moving on to pursue a career in Health Sciences.  As she completed her studies in Health Sciences at Conestoga College, she became interested in Funeral Service, and went on to attend and graduate from Humber College’s Funeral Service Education Program as a Licensed Funeral Director in 2021.  Ireland interned in Windsor prior to moving to Hamilton where she currently resides, joining the Smith’s team in 2022.

Diana was born in Calgary and raised in Burlington, where she continues to reside with her family. She attended Guido de Brès High School and worked briefly in her family’s candy business prior to going into funeral service in 1997. Di went on to graduate from Humber College’s Funeral Service Education program and both apprenticed and worked as a funeral director in Toronto before joining the Smith’s team in 2003. She was a Parent Representative at Trinity Christian School in Burlington for many years, and is a longtime member of Fellowship Church in Burlington.  

Bryan was born and raised in Freelton, Ontario where he continues to reside. He attended Waterdown High School and joined with Smith’s team in 2010. Bryan is a former volunteer of the Burlington Humane Society and the Burlington Association for the Intellectually Handicapped (Community Living Burlington), and is actively involved in the Waterdown Men’s Industrial Bowling League.

Lindsay was born and raised in St. Catharines, and is a graduate of Niagara College’s Personal Support Worker program, with Multidisciplinary Studies in Palliative Care. She relocated to Burlington as a newlywed and continued to work in homecare settings until returning to Humber College to pursue Funeral Service. Lindsay graduated from Humber in 2021 and joined the team at Smith’s in 2023. She is excited to serve the community in which she lives. In her spare time, Lindsay enjoys cooking and baking tasty treats for her family and colleagues. She attends Compass Point Bible Church and volunteers with their Funeral Reception Committee providing homemade goodies. She is married to her husband Mark, together they have a teenaged daughter and son, and a rescue dog, Hammy.

Born and raised in Hamilton, Caitlyn received a diploma in Recreation and Leisure Studies from Mohawk College before moving to Toronto to pursue a career in funeral services.  She became a licensed Funeral Director in 2016 after completing the Funeral Service Education program at Humber College. After a several years in Toronto, she decided to make the move to Burlington to be closer to her family. One of her greatest career achievements thus far was being given the honour to travel to Jordan for the repatriation of a Canadian soldier. We proudly welcomed Caitlyn to our team at Smith’s in 2019.

Born and raised in Burlington, Jen graduated from Aldershot High School before attending McMaster University for Sociology and Social Work. Jen is a proud member of 100 Women Who Care Burlington, the Ontario Funeral Service Association, the Golden Key International Honour Society,  and is Past Chair of the Advisory Committee and a former Director and Board Member with Guaranteed Funeral Deposits of Canada.  She is a past volunteer at Joseph Brant Hospital, the Canadian Cancer Society and the Burlington Downtown Business Association. She was a member of Breast Cancer Support Services’ yearly ‘The Event’ gala fundraising committee from 2011-2015, and in 2013 was a committee member for the inaugural concert fundraiser ‘This Magic Moment’ in support of the Halton Heroes Foundation.  Jen joined Smith’s in 1994 as a co-op student, and has worked in numerous roles ever since.

George was born in Mississauga and raised in Burlington, and is a graduate of Aldershot High School. He began working part time at Smith’s in 1982, and in 1984 graduated as a licensed funeral director from the Funeral Service Education program at Humber College. George celebrated 30 years of service with Smith’s in 2012, and was the Charter Vice-President of the Rotary Club of Burlington North.

Ray was born and raised in Langton, Ontario and moved to Burlington in 1964. Ray is a graduate of the Canadian School of Embalming, and in 2012 received the Legacy Award in Funeral Service to commemorate his 50th anniversary of becoming a licensed funeral director in Ontario. 2014 will mark Ray’s 50th year with Smith’s – a milestone we are proud to celebrate! Ray is a former Chairman of the Investment Committee and Board Member of Guaranteed Funeral Deposits of Canada, a former President and Board Member of the Burlington Bereavement Resource Council, and is a longtime member of Burlington Baptist Church.

Born and raised in Burlington, Emily graduated from Nelson High School before continuing her studies at McMaster University where she completed an Honours B.A. and M.A. degree in classics. In her spare time she enjoys learning languages and spending time with her pets. Emily joined the Smith’s team in 2017.

Sarah was born and raised in Stoney Creek where she attended Saltfleet High School before graduating with a counselling certificate from Heritage Bible College in Cambridge. She then enrolled in Humber College and graduated from the Funeral Service Education Program as a Licensed Funeral Director in 2012. Sarah attends Living Hope Church in Hamilton where she teaches Drumline in the Dance Studio, and is also involved with Mothering Matters in Hamilton. As the mother of 5 children, Sarah does various speaking engagements about blended families. She is a valued member of Christ in the Workplace, where she had the opportunity to lead at the Burlington Prayer Breakfast in 2019. She is part of the Burlington Networking Group, and enjoys attending Burlington Chamber of Commerce events throughout the year.  Sarah also has a passion for peer support, not only for bereaved families but also for fellow funeral directors, and started the Hamilton and area chapter of Canadian Funeral Peer Support. She enjoys speaking about all things new in ‘green’ (environmentally-friendly) initiatives for funeral planning and believes in the value of educating people about their options when it comes to making important end-of-life decisions. She also assists families with our Aftercare Program and helps them through the application process for Canada Pension benefits. We were happy to welcome Sarah to the Smith’s team in July 2017.

Sean grew up in Orillia, Ontario and attended Orillia District Collegiate and Vocational Institute before graduating from the Funeral Service Education program at Humber College in 1989. Starting his funeral service career at Doolittle Funeral Home in Orillia in 1986, Sean moved to Burlington and joined the Smith’s team in 1991. Married with a daughter in her last year of her masters degree, Sean was a longtime volunteer with the Halton District School Board mainly with the Breakfast Program at Aldershot School.

David was born and raised in Burlington and graduated from Aldershot High School before completing the Funeral Service Education program at Humber College in 1989. Dave joined Smith’s working part time in 1982 until he became a fulltime licensed funeral director in 1989. In 2012, Dave celebrated 30 years of service with Smith’s. He is an active member of the Burlington Oldtimers’ Hockey Club and the Burlington Executives Network, and is a former Advisory Board Member of the Ron Edwards YMCA in Burlington.