Hugh L. Smith

Hugh L. Smith, 93, passed away peacefully in his sleep at home on Sunday, April 9. He was welcomed into his eternal life with open arms by the many loved ones who had gone before him. He was a soft-spoken, gentle soul who always had a twinkle in his eye and laughed easily.

He was born the fourth child in a family of five children to Lawrence Monroe and Lena Barton Smith on Sept. 28, 1923, in Gobey, Morgan County, Tenn. At the time of his birth, Gobey was a thriving timber and mill community in east Tennessee. His father was the train engineer, and his grandfather was a railroad section foreman and mule wrangler for the millworks. His father, nicked named “Betty,” bought one of the first cars owned in the community. That auto, a STAR, served as a multipurpose vehicle for Gobey; family transportation, delivery can, ambulance and occasionally as a hearse.

Hugh quit school in the eighth grade after a verbal tongue lashing by Mr. Dillon, the principal; he punched him and walked home, never to return. Despite the lack of formal education, Hugh was a whiz with numbers, fact and figures. He would quickly figure problems mentally and arrive at the answer before most could write it down.

After the onset of World War II, his older brother, Garland, joined the U.S. Army. Not wanting to be left behind, Hugh joined the Army in March 1943. On the same day he completed basic training, he was discharged from the Army and was sworn into the U.S. Marine Corp. He then was shipped off to Camp Pendleton, Calif., to do basic training for the USMC. He served in K Company, 3^rd Battalion, 8^th Regiment and 2^nd Marine Division. The 2^nd Marine Division was awarded a Presidential Unit Citation for “outstanding performance in combat during the seizure and occupation of Japanese-held Atoll of Tarawa, Gilbert Islands on Nov. 20 to 24, 1943.”

During the war, he saw he saw combat action in several major battles in the Mariana Islands (Tinian and Saipan), the Gilbert Islands (Tarawa), and the Ryukyu (Nansei) Islands (Okinawa). His group was one of the first U.S. forces to enter Nagasaki after the Atomic Bomb (code name “Fat Man”) was dropped.

In one of the battles (Tarawa), he received burns from a phosphorous bomb and was sent to a military hospital in Hilo, Hawaii, to recuperate. He was honorably discharged from the USMC in January of 1946.

In June of 1948, he married a local Tennessee girl, Ethel Stringfield. They had two children, Brenda Sue and Larry Jack. A few months after Larry’s birth, they packed up their little family and headed West. On Larry’s first birthday, Sept. 4, 1952, the family arrived in Prineville, where timber was king. He quickly found employment with Ochoco Lumber Company, setting chokers in the woods, then with Hudspeth Pine truck driving and as a truck mechanic.

Hugh’s family lived a short time in the Portland area and then moved to southern Colorado, where he was employed at San Juan Lumber Company. In December of 1959, the family moved back to Prineville. Hugh and Ethel’s third child, Michael Hugh, was born in 1960 in Prineville.

The first of January 1990, Hugh retired from Les Schwab Tire Company as truck manager. While working at Schwabs, he drove truck, did mechanic work on company trucks and eventually became truck manager. The day after his retirement from Schwabs, he went to work for his son, Larry, at ABC Fence Company. He worked at ABC Fence until it became necessary to stay at home and care for his wife, Ethel.

Other interests included fishing, road trips, visiting the casinos, lending a helping hand to those in need, and spending time with family and friends.

Hugh is survived by sister, Ruby Smith; daughters, Brenda (Steve) Ashby and Jodie Smith; sons, Larry Jack and Michael Hugh Smith; six grandchildren, Stephen, Christina, Jamie, Rawlin, Rogan and Rita; eight great-grandchildren, Hannah, Olivia, Christopher, Lawson, Cameron, Graham, Chloe and Freya. He also leaves behind his caregiver for the past two years, LeeAnn Paul.

Hugh was preceded in death by his parents; sister, Edith Rizzo; brothers, Jack and Garland; his wife, Ethel; and daughter-in-law, Debbie.

He was loved by many other family members and dear friends and will be sadly missed by all who knew him.

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