Mason "Jake" Smith

CANAAN, VT —Mr. Mason “Jake” Smith, 23, of Burlington and Canaan, Vt., died tragically on Friday night, Sept. 20, 2013, in a boating incident on Lake Champlain. He was born on April 10, 1990, in Newport, Vt., a son to Haze and Kathy (Cornell) Smith. Jake was a 2008 graduate of Canaan Memorial High School. Always playful and competitive, Jake played every sport in high school, and played them all well. Growing up, he learned the house-building trade during summers with his father, and started a successful house-painting company, Jake and Eli & Sons, with his brother. After high school, he attended Castleton College for two years, later transferring to the University of Vermont where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in English in 2012. Jake had a great talent and love for writing, and enjoyed blogging for bigheavyworld.com. At the time of his passing, Jake was enjoying a promising position at Peoples’ Bank in Williston, Vt. Always active, Jake truly enjoyed the outdoors, with a passion for telemark and alpine skiing with friends and family – from The Balsams to Jay Peak to Sugarbush. A charismatic and dominant presence in any crowd, Jake had many great friends who counted on him always for laughs, as well as solid, loyal friendship. He was a loving and compassionate person who wanted each of his friends to achieve their best. Jake was well known among friends and family for his great hugs. He will be dearly missed. He is survived by his parents, Haze and Kathy Smith of Canaan, Vt.; his brother Eli Smith of Potsdam, NY.; his loving girlfriend, Meredith Turteltaub of Burlington; paternal grandparents Mason E. Smith and wife Hallie of Long Lake, NY, and their children Alex & Meg Smith; his maternal grandparents, Jack and Jayne Cornell of Aiken, SC; his aunt Sue Hart of Norwood, NY, his uncle Sean Smith and partner Lise Boyer and Sean and Sue’s children Lauren of Massena, NY, and Courtney of Elmira, NY; uncle and aunt Reuben and Cynde Smith of Chesterton, NY; uncle and aunt Jeff and Kelly Cornell and their children Kevin and Jackie of Chicago, Ill.; as well as countless friends. A “Celebration of Life” will be held on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2013, at 2 p.m. at the Canaan Memorial High School Gymnasium in Canaan, Vt. Expressions of sympathy in memory of Jake may be made to the Two Rivers Ride for Cancer, c/o Rosemary Mulliken at the First Colebrook Bank, 132 Main Street, Colebrook, NH 03576 Condolences may be offered to the family on-line by going to www.jenkinsnewman.com. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Jenkins & Newman Funeral Home, Colebrook, NH.

Mason "Jake" Smith

September 20, 2013