SMITH, George W

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho – George W. Smith, 72, of Challis, Idaho, formerly of John Day, died Sept. 5 in Idaho Falls. Military services were held Sept. 20 at the American Legion Hall in Challis. He was born Aug. 20, 1942, in Fall River Mills, Calif., to Frank Smith and Lillian Irene Hubbard Smith. When he was young, the family moved to John Day, where he grew up and attended school. After graduation in 1960, Mr. Smith joined the U.S. Marine Corps. He was honorably discharged in 1964, achieving the rank of corporal. On Oct. 28, 1961, in John Day, he married his high school sweetheart, Sharon Eileen Thomasson, with whom he had four children. After the military, he returned to John Day, where he worked for Grant County School District for two years. They moved to California, where they managed retail stores for 12 years, and then returned to the John Day area, where he worked as a telephone lineman for four years. In summer 1981, they moved to Challis, where he worked for the Challis Joint School District for 25 years, first as a custodian, and then as a maintenance supervisor. He retired in 2006. His hobbies included hunting, fishing, woodworking, rock collecting, military history, visiting with people and spending time with family, especially his grandchildren. Survivors include his wife of almost 53 years, Sharon; son, Jeff (Laura) Smith; daughter Sheila (Wayne) Dodd; grandsons, Josh Smith, Zach Smith, Nathan Banks and Billy Dodd; great-granddaughters, Emma Smith and Charlotte Smith; Doug (Charol) Smith; sisters-in-law, Donna (Roger) Lincoln, Marilyn Thomasson; and several nieces, nephews and cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents; stepfather, Lawrence Mulkey; in-laws, Don and Wilma Thomasson; infant twin daughters, Sharon and Eileen Smith; grandsons, Jeffrey Lee Smith Jr. and Cooper Banks; and granddaughter, Carly Banks. Memorial contributions may be made to the Jeffrey Lee Smith Jr. Scholarship Fund, c/o Challis Joint School District 181, P.O. Box 304, Challis, ID, 83226, or to a charity of one’s choice. bluemountaineagle.com 30 Sept 2014