Wallace “Wally” Smith passed away on March 17, 2016 – he was 91 years old.
Most obituaries read like a resume of one’s life, which is ironic because Wally spent part of his career helping recently “downsized” executives write their resumes and find jobs. I don’t think he would have wanted his life boiled down to such facts as where he worked, for how long, and how many organizations he belonged to. Which is ironic because he had a Masters in, and loved, Statistics. He even co-authored a book on it. Although he was never asked “How would you like your obituary to read?” I think he would have liked his friends to remember what he loved about life.
His beloved wife of 67 years, Lorraine, would hold the top position, followed by his children: Jeff (Pam), Shelley, Rick (Leslie), Ron and Sandy, and the grandchildren he adored; Morgan (Justin), Lindsay and Michelle. He had a strong thirst for knowledge and adventure, which sent him and Lorraine to all but two continents on the planet. What he likely considered to be the most invigorating career of the several he had would have been working in, and helping develop, the commercial airline industry. His executive positions afforded him the opportunity to take his family on educational and exotic vacations across Europe and the South Pacific.
He also had an unhealthy passion for grammar.
Although it sounds cliché, it is the undisputed truth that Wally made friends wherever he went. Quick with his wit, he had a way of turning the focus away from himself and instead learning about the other person that drew people to him. He had more friends in more geographic places than he could count, and outlived most of them. He was born and raised in St. Paul, Minnesota and rarely began a day without checking the weather in the Twin Cities. He started his family in Chicago, accepted a new position and moved the family to New York, and eventually relocated to the Bay Area. When it came time to retire, he and Lorraine moved once again – this time to Grass Valley where he honed his golfing skills. He also devoted six years as a volunteer for the Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital Auxiliary by seeing to the comfort, care and happiness of the patients. For a time, he volunteered as a math tutor to students at Alta Sierra Elementary School. He and Lorraine spent 27 years there. He said good-bye to far too many dear friends as a price for aging gracefully. He came to consider the term “Golden Years” a paradox.
He was a sweet man, a funny man and seriously smart; a ferociously adoring husband, a stern father, a soft-hearted daddy, and a teddy bear Grandpa. Anyone who met him and grew to know him could always count on a good laugh and knew they had a true friend. His loss is immeasurable to those who loved him.