Rhys Emrys Smallwood passed away peacefully, leaving behind a deeply loved family, lifelong friends, and a life for which he was immensely grateful.
Born in Edmonton, Alberta, Rhys was the son of Emrys and Yvonne Smallwood (née Wilson). Tragically, Rhys lost his father in a car accident in 1960. In 1968, his mother moved Rhys and his two older sisters, Laura and Lynn, to Victoria, BC, establishing a family home in Oak Bay.
Rhys graduated from Oak Bay High in 1976 and earned a BA in Economics from the University of British Columbia in 1980. In his twenties, he spent several summers guiding whitewater rafting trips in BC and Northern California. A summer position in IT during his university years sparked a 40-year career in technology and IT project management. Working across both the public and private sectors, his career took him to Vancouver, London, England, and Houston, Texas before he returned to Victoria in 1995. He retired in 2018.
The true heart of Rhys’s life was his family. In 1998, he married Stacie Louttit, originally from Great Falls, Montana, and together they welcomed their son, Dylan, in 2000. Rhys was deeply involved in Dylan’s youth sports and loved family walks with their dogs—first their Golden Retriever, Bailey, and later their Wheaten Terrier, Zeus.
Known for his calm presence, grounded perspective, and a touch of mischief, Rhys had a lifelong love for the outdoors, including biking, cross-country skiing, and hiking. In recent years, he and Stacie enjoyed wintering in Arizona while keeping Victoria as home base.
Rhys will be deeply missed by his wife, Stacie; son, Dylan; mother, Yvonne; sister Laura Smallwood and her partner, Jackie Anderson; sister Lynn Smallwood; nephew Brys Stafford; nephew Evan Stafford, his wife, Kassandra, and their children; and three grandnieces on Stacie’s side, all of whom he held dear. He also leaves behind a cherished circle of friends.
A Celebration of Rhys’ Life will be held in the Sequoia Centre at McCall Gardens, 4665 Falaise Drive, Victoria, BC, on Saturday, October 10th, 2026, at 10:00am.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Rhys’s memory to the BC Cancer Foundation in support of lymphoma research.
Condolences may be offered to the family below.
McCall Gardens
This obituary is the property of the “Smallwood” family and may not be reproduced, distributed, or altered in any way without prior written consent.
7 Responses
Rhys was my best friend. We met in Grade 6 when our teacher asked us to share a desk. I was the smallest kid in the class. Rhys was probably the biggest. He took up most of the seat, leaving me practically hanging over the edge. I enjoyed reminding him of that over the years.
That was the beginning of a lifelong friendship. We shared much together—sports, adventures, business ventures, political discussions and disagreements, laughter, and the ordinary things that make a friendship last.
Rhys was steady, thoughtful, and quietly confident. He encouraged others by example. He was devoted to his family, loyal to his friends, and never needed to be the centre of attention. And for someone so determined, he could always laugh at himself.
He was a wonderful friend. I am so grateful to have had him in my life.
Dear Stacie and Dylan…
So sorry for your loss of Rhys. I will miss greatly having him as my partner, in our periodic card games. Bev and my thoughts are with you both and the other members of the extended family, during this tough time.
Smallwood Family, we are so sorry to hear this news. We have such fond memories of Rhys. Our memories are all tied around his high school years when he was with our sister Jo Ann. Our house was always full and all of our friends were welcome, Rhys was one of those people, he was always so nice , polite, and funny, just an all round good guy. We know the loss of Rhys is heavy, our thoughts are with you all, we will always remember him with great fondness, Rhys was one of the Good one’s. Susan, Barbara, and Maureen Moretti
Dear Stacie, Dylan, Yvonne, Lynn, and Laura:
My heart is heavy for you. I am holding onto memories of the good times we had at the residences at UBC, battling it out on the tennis courts in Kitsilano, and powering through rapids while avoiding rocks and sweepers. In 1982, we trained as raft guides in California and from there, went on to many whitewater adventures in BC and WA.
There are people in this world who, by their nature, their character, and their conduct, enrich the lives of others. Rhys was such a person. He stood as my Best Man, and in many ways he was just that. I’m so sorry for your loss. Sincere condolences.
Les
Hello Stacie, Dylan, Yvonne, Lynn, and Laura
I’m very sorry to hear of Rhys’ passing. We’ve all lost one of the best, and truly good guys. Rhys and I met in 1977 at UBC, where we lived in the same residence – the first of many times that we’d share a residence. We also played many sports together; basketball, soccer, skiing, golf, and even managed to get Peter ‘Zach’ out on the Cordova Bay course once. Sports, and simply being active outdoors, were Rhys’s favourite pastimes, and truly brought out the best in him – he loved to play, and excelled at pretty much anything he took up. And loved the banter that went along with those outings.
He’s been in my thoughts a lot lately, sometimes a memory will come to me, or I’ll just be thinking about him; he’s been a significant influence to me over the years. I respected him, tried to follow his lead – not always successfully as the bar was pretty high. Sometimes we got it wrong, but mostly I think we did well, and I’m thankful to have so many memories of great, happy days. Rhys was a truly great friend, and person, and I’m thankful to his family for the love that enabled that man.
Hello Stacie,
I’m very sorry to hear of Rhys’s passing. I will remember him fondly – his support of my work with the IBM Managed Operations team and fun learning to row with you and him at the Selkirk club. My thoughts are with you and the family during this difficult time.
Dear Stacie and Dylan. I’m so sorry for your loss of Rhys. I remember him as gentle and funny. My heartfelt condolences to all the family.