Russell Smith was born on October 15,1919, the fourth child and first son of Lee S. and Gail Dudley Smith in Detroit, Mich.

An enterprising child, by the age of five he figured out that if he sneaked a ride in the spare tire attached to the back of most cars, the police would soon pick him up and give him ice cream until his parents could retrieve him from the station.

But this little venture was soon foiled when his family moved to the outskirts of Detroit, far removed from the city traffic. Since the stock market crashed when he was only ten, Russell grew up during the depression. In a family of ten children chores and teamwork were essential, so Russell learned the meaning of hard work and cooperation at an early age.

By the time he was fourteen he was driving a truck and delivering milk in his dad’s business. He was also repairing those same trucks since it was crucial to keep them running 

Times were hard. The Smith’s had running water but many others were not so lucky, including his two cousins, Gloria and Mildred Brooks and their widowed mother, Edith. There was no social security then so they had nothing. Russell regularly carried water to them for several blocks in five-gallon milk cans so they could water their garden, bathe and cook. It was here that he met his lifelong sweetheart, Evah Wilson. Evah let him turn in her essays as his own at school, only to discover that the work for which she got a B, earned him an A and a pat on the back.  

In high school despite the hard times Russ and his friends found ways to have fun, loading up the milk truck full of kids to go ice skating or play baseball at the park. One year he and his brother and cousin rode two bicycles all the way to Toledo to get fire works for 4th of July. It was fun except for the guy on the handlebars, he said. Ever the businessman, Russ offered his friends a ride to school in his truck for an egg each. When he saved up a dozen he sold the eggs, skipped school and went to the movies.  

Every year the Smith family had a big picnic in the park on their mother’s birthday, the fourth of July. Over the years this tradition turned into a very large family reunion that continues to this day, maintaining a commitment to family across years and miles.

In 1941 Russ and Evah were married and soon after that he joined the Navy to serve during World War II. Starting out as an artillery instructor he moved into ordinance in the Naval Air Corp, where he encountered a serious problem that was costing lives. On certain planes if the landing gear was damaged pilots faced a fiery death, since they carried an auxiliary fuel tank on the belly of the aircraft which would explode on impact. Russ invented a release mechanism that enabled the pilot to jettison the tank over the ocean if needed. This invention saved many lives and earned him a Presidential commendation.

After the war Russ returned to the milk business in Detroit for the next 12 years during which time he was blessed with two daughters, Patricia Gail (6/1/42) and Linda Lee (5/14/47). He built his family a house with his own hands and the help of friends. For years he worked on that house, finishing the attic, adding a garage and then a breezeway that connected the house to the garage. Russ and Evah planted trees and flowers and filled the yard and breezeway with games that made their home a favorite gathering place for all the kids in the neighborhood. Many cut-throat games of badminton, croquet, tetherball and ping pong were played there, as well as serious bouts of crack the whip in winter when Russ filled his milk truck with kids to take them ice skating in the park. 

But the bitter Michigan winters were crippling his back, so when the opportunity came for a business partnership in Florida, Russ moved his family to Lockhart, a small town just outside Orlando, where his son, Daniel Joseph was born on September 20, 1956. 

Russ became active in community projects and especially in the Lions club. For fifty years he raised money to help the blind, to train guide dogs, and provide other services. They collected hundreds of used glasses to be refinished for the poor. He was president of his Lions Club twice and in 2009 was voted Lion of the year.   

He was also a leader in the Lockhart Civic Association participating in many fund raising and service projects to improve his community.  He was always involved with youth activities in his children’s schools and the local community center.  

He was a sports fan, a golfer and fisherman, as well as an avid gardener and photographer. He was a can-do kind of guy who knew how to make trees and flowers flourish, how to fix a car from top to bottom, and how to build a house from the ground up.

When he retired, he and Evah joined the Coachman Club and traveled the country they loved so well in their big RV, while Russ always continued his service to the Lions Club and his community. They went on many cruises together from the Caribbean to Alaska. They went white water rafting and sailed in a hot air balloon. He climbed the pyramid in Belize, and went zip lining over the rain forest. In 2001 Russ and Evah organized a wonderful family cruise to celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary. Everyone who shared that experience still talks about it to this day. In 2004 at the age of 85 he went parasailing, the oldest parasailer they ever had, they told him. He lived a life of adventure and service and always cared for his family.

Every year he went to his family reunion to renew his ties with that ever expanding group. He walked every day to keep in shape and keep at bay the arthritis that threatened him for over 60 years. He was a fighter, a man of resilience and spirit who loved life.

In 2010 his dear wife Evah passed away, and arthritis finally put him in a wheelchair. But he still tried to stay active and liked to have parties. In 2014 for his 95th birthday he was visited by family members from Florida to Canada and in between, including his two sisters, Shirley and Gladys, his brother Jim and his brother-in-law Martin, as well as many other friends and relatives, for a big bash and a day at the track.

On Thanksgiving he held a reunion of his own that was attended by 22 of his descendants spanning five generations. He is survived by his three children, five grandchildren, five great grandchildren, and six great-great grandchildren. 

Russ always liked to socialize and play games, especially Bingo, and Dominos. He taught the staff in therapy at Bluegrass how to play, and beat them all so often they started calling him the Shark. Just two weeks before he passed away he was still playing Bingo. He was a man of courage and strength.

Dedicated to his family, his country and his community, he was a model and an inspiration for us all.