Born in Windsor Ontario a few months before the great crash of 1929, Kenneth Morton Smookler, only child of pharmacist William Smookler and bookkeeper Ella Smookler, distinguished himself early in life: as a three-year-old he shocked the editors of Ripley’s Believe It or Not, who confirmed Ken could not only read the newspaper, but could do it upside-down! Ken kept reading for the next 93 years, and was still ordering 20 books a month from the library in his final year.

In adulthood Ken’s intelligence earned him a place in Mensa where he could share his playful wit and brilliant mind. He met Frances Ross (née Myers) in 1956, often saying he fell in love at the first sight of this young widow with two small children. They married the following year and honeymooned in New York City, where Ken’s genius paid off big: The newlyweds, sitting in the audience of The Big Payoff, were invited onto the stage to be contestants of the show. Kenneth successfully answered the show’s winning question, winning the grand prize of a mink coat for Fran and a 5-city tour of Europe. An auspicious beginning to their 66 years of marriage.

Ken graduated from U of T Law School in 1959, eventually being designated a Queen’s Counsel (QC) in 1975. Ken was the first lawyer in Canada to specialize in marketing law and wrote the legal column for Marketing Magazine and The Medical Post for well over a decade. As an entertainment lawyer, Ken had the pleasure of working with the Canadian Brass; Moses Znaimer; and the creators of the Juno Awards, Stan Klees and Walt Grealis.

From early childhood Ken was fascinated by science fiction and the far reaches it offered the mind. Over many decades he and Fran would trek to science fiction conventions, meeting Isaac Asimov, Gene Roddenberry, Joe Haldeman, Harlan Ellison and many other now legendary writers. Ken co-founded and was the first president of the Ontario Science Fiction Club (OSFiC).
As much as Ken loved science fiction, he loved his wife Frances even more. An early adopter of feminism, Ken supported Fran returning to school, even attending class with her to teach her how to take notes, and teaching himself calculus to help her pass the course. His support enabled her to become one of Ontario’s few female lawyers, cheering her on as she went before the Supreme Court. After her death in 2023, Ken said the light went out for him.

After retirement, Ken and Fran never stopped expanding their horizons. They cruised the world, visiting dozens of countries. Ken continued to give legal advice, retaining his law licence and remaining lively and engaged long after others slowed down. At 87 he published Farr & Beyond: Lawyers for the Otherworldly, his tongue-in-cheek account of a law firm offering services to fairy-tale characters, such as two of the Three Little Pigs, who sue their contractors after their houses of straw and sticks succumb to the Big Bad Wolf.
Still sharp at 95, Ken joined his condo board and re-wrote the contract with their management company. He spent many happy decades at The Wellington, making great friends and actively participating in turning the condo into a social community, adding a movie night to the building activities and enjoying the weekly dinner get-togethers.

Ken Smookler was an extremely gracious person, always treating those around him with respect, also often offering a raised eyebrow or a clever comment. He was a man of great integrity who lived his values.
He is survived by his children, Sharon Agassi (Yossi), and granddaughter Maya
Norm Smookler (Gabriela), Ana, Johann, Katja, Rosa
Elaine Smookler (Moish)
David Smookler (Linda)

At 96 years old, although his brilliantly sharp mind continued to glow, his body began to dim, and on November 11th the light went out.

He was one of a kind and he will be missed.


For those unable to attend in person, the funeral service will be available via live stream. A clickable link will appear at the top of this page on the day of the service, which will provide access to the live feed.