A London father who died in a ski accident over the Family Day long weekend is being remembered as a gentle giant.
Tim Smuck, 39, was skiing with friends at the Blue Mountain Resort on Saturday when he collided with another skier before hitting a tree. He was pronounced dead in hospital.
"We have lost a great man, our gentle giant has been taken too early," family friend Rhonda Day wrote on a GoFundMe page.
The fundraising campaign was launched to raise money to help Smuck's two young sons, Ace and Lincoln, and his fiancee Holly, who was diagnosed with breast cancer last September. It has been shared more than 1,700 times on social media.
"Tim was a wonderful caring man. He loved his family so much and was very proud of all he had. This is a very tough time for Holly and the boys," Day continued. "[Holly's] cancer treatment makes this struggle very hard and they are going need so much assistance."
As of Tuesday morning, more than $30,000 had been donated by 300 people through the online campaign.
Friends of Smuck's have also been expressing their sadness and condolences through the fundraising website.
"This is truly heartbreaking. Tim would frequently show me videos that he took of the boys. The last one of Ace feeding Linc and Tim welled up saying 'I just love them so much.' An amazing husband, father and wonderful coworker and true friend gone too soon," wrote one friend.
"Tim was an incredibly loving, hilarious and honest guy who would give you the shirt off his back. It is utterly heartbreaking to know he is no longer with us," stated another.
Smuck was a salesperson at ToyotaTown in London and a member of Dad Club London.
