Obituary of Lawrence A. Smith

Lawrence Arthur Smith (most called him ‘Smitty’) passed away peacefully at his home in Morrill, Maine on Saturday, March 16, 2019 at the age of 81. His short, but spunky battle with Stage 4 colon cancer inspired all who came into his home to visit, and, boy, did he ever like to have company! Smitty blew the dust off some old life stories and kept family and guests entertained throughout his illness, more concerned about their well-being than his own. His final word spoken, moments before he went to be with the Lord, was, “Janie! ”-loud and clear, to his wife of 59 years, who held his hand to let him know everything was gonna be alright. He was born on September 6, 1937 in Brooks, Maine to Clyde and Evelyn (Johnson) Smith. Smitty was one of 13 children in the Smith household on Jewell Street where the homemade root beer ran freely every Fourth of July. He was predeceased by his parents, Clyde and Evelyn; and siblings Marlowe, Sherwood, Nellie, Clyde (Jitter), Alfred, Raynor (Pete), Mary, Roy, and Polly. Smitty had a slightly mischievous childhood in Brooks and graduated from Morse Memorial High School in 1957. He joined the Maine Army National Guard in 1955 and served for eight years. Following his high school graduation, Smitty delivered propane for Sherm English and processed string beans at the B&G Canning Factory in Brooks. He began work for Cottle’s Supermarket (now Hannaford) in Belfast in 1959 and retired in 1992 after 33 years. Retirement didn’t last long. Later in 1992, he began a 22-year career for RSU 3 School District as a custodian at Mt. View High School, retiring again in 2014. In Dec. 2018 Smitty finally retired for good after several part-time years in Morrill General Store’s dairy department. In school Smitty played both baseball and basketball. During his senior year he was a high scorer on his basketball team with 309 points (4-year total of 955 points)! He was voted “Best Dressed” in 1957 and was Vice President of the Future Farmers of America. His fate was sealed when he met Miss Janie E. Stairs; high-school cheerleader, basketball player, and spelling bee champion. She became his heart’s desire and they were wed on Sept. 19, 1959 in Winterport, and moved to Belfast in 1960. In 1963 they bought their first house together in Morrill and raised their family there. In 1989, they moved west (by one mile) to their second Morrill home for a total of 56 years as Morrill town residents. Family meant more to Smitty than anything. Every member of his family felt it, and for each person the connection was unique and special. He was proud of each them and he made sure they knew it. Smitty was a creature of habit. He had his coffee at breakfast, but always tea with Janie at (‘dinner’, 12:00 noon sharp), and tea again with Janie at 5:00 pm (‘supper’- and 5:05 pm would be considered a ‘late supper’). By conservative estimates, he enjoyed 43,439 cups of tea with his beloved wife. Morrill was ‘heaven-on-earth’ for Smitty. There, in its rural setting, he could raise kids, cattle, pigs and chickens, ride snowmobiles, have a big yard, tap maple trees, split his firewood, go fiddle-heading, transplant trees, build stone walls and walkways, go brook fishing, have a big garden, and be part of a small-town neighborhood. In 1968 ‘Coach’ Smith’s youth basketball team won the Belfast Rotary League Championships. In 1976 Smitty put on his mitt and served as a coach with the Waldo Farm League. Smitty loved deer hunting, and in 1965, along with brothers Al and Jitter, was a founding member of Wildes Hill Rod and Gun Club in Monroe. In the years to come, each of his sons would accompany him during deer season there and he’d teach them the lay of the land. In 2000, he became a member of the Biggest Bucks in Maine Club with his 201 lb., 10-point, white-tailed wall hanger. “At first I didn’t shoot- I thought it was a MOOSE! ,” he recounted. In 1977, Smitty took up mountain climbing. At the age of 40 he made his first ascent to Baxter Peak on Mt. Katahdin. Merely whetting his mountaineering appetite, next it was South Turner Mtn., then onto Black Cat Mtn., North Traveler Mtn., Burnt Mtn., Horse Mtn., and Trout Brook Mtn. He was known near and far for his homemade donuts, fluffy tapioca, and corn chowder. He was a lifelong Boston Red Sox fan, a New England Patriots fanatic, a formidable Indian leg wrestler and a zealous horseshoe pitcher. Other interests included camping, hiking, swimming, water-skiing, golfing, backgammon and card games, hunting, fishing, and woodworking as well going to the Union Fair, Hollywood Casino, and Baxter State Park. For movies, he liked action and drama; Clint Eastwood, Tom Cruise, Denzel Washington. Smitty will be remembered for his kind and gentle spirit, peace keeping, generous hospitality, loyal work ethic, neighborliness, building friendships, sense of humor, a neat and spotless garage, meticulous lawn care, selflessness and humility. He was often a man of few words but when he did speak, he spoke with common sense and honesty. Lawrence Arthur (Smitty) Smith was a man of great wealth. His consistent investments yielded tremendous dividends, because he invested heavily in what mattered the most to him- his family, his friends, his neighbors, and his work colleagues. Undoubtedly, his greatest legacy. He is survived and lovingly remembered by his wife, Janie of Morrill; his daughter, Brenda Ventura and husband Tom of Belfast; sons- Keith Smith and wife Terri of Augusta, Michael Smith and wife Amy of Palermo, and Eric Smith and wife Rhonda of Durham; four grandchildren- Joshua Smith and wife Kasi of Glenburn, Sierra Zang and husband Justin of Queens, NY, Aspen Ventura and partner Taylor Light of Prospect, and Zeke Ventura of Orono; great-grandchild Bowden Smith of Glenburn; brother Byron Smith of Three Rivers, MA; sisters Coralee Grass of Bucksport and Coleen Putnam of Brooks; along with several nieces, nephews, neighbors, other relatives, and dear friends. A celebration of Smitty’s life will be held at the Morrill Baptist Church at 11:00 AM on Saturday, March 30, 2019. The family will be greeting friends and relatives at this time. Smitty was always practical, often frugal, and sometimes blunt. He frequently voiced that for his birthday he’d rather have the money that you were going to spend on the card…than the card. That said, in lieu of flowers (…or cards), donations in Smitty’s memory may be given to Maine Health Care at Home Hospice, 15 Industrial Park Rd., Saco, ME 04072 or online at https://mainehealth.org/mainehealth-care-at-home/ways-to-give/online-donation . His family would especially like to thank David Malay, RN., Denise Anderson, CNA., Constance Delio, Hospice Volunteer, and Pastor Jim Culbertson. Their contribution to Smitty’s home hospice and spiritual care was nothing short of amazing.