Funeral service held for Pakenham area woman located last Wednesday
Posted Mar 11, 2010 By Jeff Maguire
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Tweet ThisEMC News - Family and friends of a missing Pakenham area woman had their worst fears confirmed last week when her body was located and recovered by Ontario Provincial Police (OPP).
On Wednesday (March 3) Lanark County OPP announced that officers from the detachment had recovered the body of Tina Smithson, 51, who was reported missing on Tuesday, Jan. 26.
Police officers on the ground were assisted by the OPP helicopter based at general headquarters in Orillia.
The latest search was organized due to improvements in the late winter weather conditions. It was officers in the helicopter who made the discovery, an OPP spokesman told the EMC Monday. Officers on the ground were directed to the location and were able to make the recovery.
Family members had been conducting their own search. They requested further assistance from the police which was offered when better weather allowed an aerial search to be carried out, the police spokesman explains.
Mrs. Smithson had been the object of an intensive search in late January. At the time she was reported missing her husband Raymond Smithson told police he had last spoken to her at 12 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 25.
Lanark County OPP issued a missing person report on Jan. 26, requesting the assistance of the public in locating Mrs. Smithson. At the time police said it was believed she had left the family residence, located on the 10th Concession of the Pakenham Ward of the Town of Mississippi Mills on foot.
"It is unknown what she is wearing or what direction of travel was taken," an OPP news release explained. Police reported her vehicle was still at the residence and said she had not taken her purse or any form of identification with her.
She was described as 5' 1" tall and a slim 100 pounds. Full details of her appearance were made public on Jan. 26 with police first hoping someone would locate the missing lady.
However, the subsequent police probe revealed she had walked away from the home and it was later announced authorities feared she had fallen through the ice into a fast flowing creek located near the property.
OPP Eastern Region Emergency Response Team members reached that conclusion after conducting an extensive search of the area surrounding the rural residence.
Wednesday's discovery brought the case to a tragic conclusion. OPP said a post mortem examination was scheduled at the Ottawa Hospital late last week.
Police ask that anyone with further information contact the Lanark County detachment by telephoning 613-267-2626.
Tina Marie Smithson is survived by her husband and best friend Ray and three children Curtis, Scott and Brittni. She was the daughter of Eddie Legree and the late Heather (nee Porteous).
Also surviving are two brothers Mike (Heather Roy) of Pakenham and Terry (Lynn) of Ottawa. A sister Mary Ellen Legree died previously.
She was the sister-in-law of Terry Smithson of Pakenham and Linda Ross (Nick) of Norfolk, Virginia. She will also be fondly remembered by her best friends Denis and Beth Bucci of Pembroke.
Visitation was at the Pilon Funeral Home in Arnprior Saturday afternoon and evening (March 6). A candlelight service to celebrate Tina's life was conducted in the Pilon Family Chapel Saturday at 8 p.m. Rev. Debbie Roi of St. Andrew's United Church, Pakenham officiated. Cremation followed.
In memoriam donations to the Huntington Society of Canada would be appreciated by Tina's husband and family. Condolences, tributes or donations can be offered at: www.pilonfamily.ca.
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