Kevin Heron, Fort Smith deputy mayor, fondly remembered
Kevin Heron, the deputy mayor of the town of Fort Smith, passed away on August 7 at the age of 66.
Born into a large family on January 15, 1956 in Fort Smith, Kevin grew up with strong connections to family, community, friends, and his Métis culture.
He carried those values with him into his work and life, his family said, and is remembered by those who knew him as a loving father, sibling, and husband, and a caring community member and friend.
Kevin worked for 33 years at Imperial Oil, where he made connections everywhere he travelled for work.
“A highlight of his career was the time he was able to spend with the people and communities along the Mackenzie River,” the Heron family wrote in a eulogy shared with Cabin Radio.
“Kevin travelled the North and made friends in all the communities. He always stopped and said hello to everyone.
“He valued his friends and relationships.”
Kevin also taught trades at Aurora College and “worked hard to help all his students succeed.”
After retirement from Imperial Oil, Kevin dug into his deeply engrained values of community and culture, finding ways to get involved in the Town of Fort Smith. He took on the role of deputy mayor, was a councillor for the Fort Smith Métis Council, and was a committee member for the Fort Smith Housing Authority.
The Town of Fort Smith tweeted its condolences to Kevin’s family. “May he rest in peace and we thank him for his service to our community,” the town wrote.
Kevin’s family described how he would take his sons hunting and deliver chickens and rabbits to Elders in the community, and how he “strongly advocated for the future of the youth and focusing attention on the strengths and resiliency of the Métis people.”
Kevin is survived by his wife, Diane, his four sons, Spencer, Alex, Julian, and Elliot, and his daughter-in-law Ramanda, as well as brothers, sisters, cousins, nieces, and nephews.
A wake was held at Roaring Rapids Hall on August 15 with a funeral service the next day at St Joseph’s Cathedral, followed by a celebration of life at the hall.