James Smith

James "Jim" Walton Smith, 85, of Simpsonville, SC, passed away the morning of Sunday, March 22, 2015, at Greenville Memorial Hospital. Born May 16, 1929, in Birmingham, AL, he was one of seven children and the youngest of four sons, of the late Col. Harry E. Smith, U. S. Army (Ret.) and Patricia Furminger Smith. Upon High School graduation in 1948, Mr. Smith enlisted in the newly created United States Air Force as a Loadmaster Cargo Specialist, rising to the rank of Chief Master Sergeant (E-9) by 1963, thereby becoming the USAF's youngest E-9 ever. He served as Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge of most every squadron to which he was assigned, and served in every theatre of the world from the South Pole to the far reaches of the Arctic, setting up DEW line radar stations across the top of the globe. His first overseas duty was the Berlin Airlift of 1948-1949, flying the C-47 and C-54 cargo aircraft into the besieged Berlin to deliver food and supplies to the civilian population. After that, Sergeant Smith was involved in operations in Africa, the Dominican Republic, Korea, Viet Nam, Eastern Europe, China, and almost every Asian nation throughout the 1960's and 1970's. Upon retirement from the Air Force in 1978, Chief Smith went to college in Charleston, SC to prepare for the civilian workforce. Deciding he was best suited to a "hands-on" job, he attained three different Associate Degrees in air conditioning and refrigeration, Business Administration, and Criminal Justice from Trident Technical College. He put his skills to work in 1981 going to work for The Dorchester School System in Summerville, SC, working for Newington Elementary as the Head of Maintenance. He held this position for 16 years, retiring in 1997. During these years, he was known as "Mr. Smith" by the faculty and hundreds of 4th and 5th graders. There was no situation that he could not fix and no problem that he could not solve, as the faculty would attest. On every cold morning when students had to be dropped off early by working parents, he would arrive by 6:30 AM to unlock and play "monitor and mentor" to these students, many of whom called him "Grandpa". In 2010, Mr. Smith moved with his wife Hester, and son Mark's family, to Greenville, SC, settling in the Simpsonville area. Surviving are his beloved wife of 58 years, Hester Emily Griffin Smith of Simpsonville; sons, Mark W. Smith (Mary) of Simpsonville, SC and Scott A. Smith (Mary Catherine) of Columbia, SC; six grandchildren; and his sister, Patsy Ann Sandefer of Birmingham, AL. Visitation will be 12:30-1:45 PM Sunday, March 29, 2015, at Floyd's Greenlawn Chapel, 2075 E. Main St., Spartanburg, SC 29307. Funeral services will follow at 2:00 PM, at the Chapel, conducted by Chaplain Larry Epps. Burial, with military rites, will be in Fort Jackson National Cemetery, 4170 Percival Road, Columbia, SC 29229 at 1:00 PM Wednesday, April 1, 2015. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the VFW National Home for Children, 3573 South Waverly Road, Eaton Rapids, MI 48827 or online at [email protected]. Floyd's North Church Street Chapel To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of James "Jim" Walton Smith please visit our Sympathy Store.