William Howard Smith

Lieutenant Commander William Howard Smith, United States Navy, 73, of Elberton, passed away Sunday, December 13, 2015.A native of Oglethorpe County, he was the son of the late Howard Jackson and Sybil Evelyn Tiller Smith.Mr. Smith retired from the United States Navy as a nuclear engineer after achieving the rank of Lieutenant Commander. Bill joined the Navy upon graduating high school.While in the Navy, he earned an engineering degree and cultivated a love of the ocean and travel.He especially enjoyed Spain and Scotland. He enjoyed gardening and could often be found cultivating cuttings and seeds. He had a passion for woodworking and never met a tool he didn’t need.Bill loved to read and was a charismatic man who loved life and always had a good story waiting to be told. Bill is survived by his children – Catherine (Mark) Sherman of Crivitz, Wisconsin; Evelyn Ravindran and Frances Maki both of L’Anse, Michigan; William (Lori) Smith, Jr. of Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan; Sarah (Jacob) Maki of Baraga, Michigan; and Steven (Laureen) Smith of Bradford, Rhode Island; James Smith of Atoka, Tennessee; Samuel Smith and Sean Smith of Pennsylvania; and Jeb Smith of California.Bill is also survived by his 25 grandchildren: Matthew, Michael, Rachel (Dustin), Katrina, Davan, Ashok, Seth, Robert, William, Christopher, Brielle, Phillip, Aleksandra, Tara, Mark, Sonja, Zachary, Steven, Damien, Jaycee, Logan, and Connor; and one great-granddaughter, Madison.He is also survived by his beloved sister, Janelle Waters;his brother, Howard Smith; loving nephews and niece: David and Steve Waters, and Suzanne Burden;and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Howard and Sybil; his sister, Jacqueline; and two brothers, Harry and Wayne. The Prayer Service was held Thursday, December 17, 2015 at 5:00 p.m. at Hicks Funeral Home & Cremation Services with visitation following from 5:30-8:00 p.m. Funeral Mass was Friday, December 18, 2015 at 11:00 a.m. in St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Elberton. Intermentfollowed in Palmetto Christian Church Cemetery with Military Honors. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital at P.O. Box 1000, Dept. 142, Memphis, TN 38101-9908. Onlinecondolences may be expressed to the family at www.hicksfuneral.com. Arrangements for Lieutenant Commander William Howard Smith were in the care of Hicks Funeral Home & Cremation Services of Elberton.