Salt Lake City, Utah -
It is with great sorrow that we announce the death of Reginald E Smith Jr. After suffering for many years from a terrible and progressive illness, Reginald passed away peacefully during the early morning hours of April 21st, 2023. Born in Kansas City, Missouri on May 28th, 1929, to Reginald Sr and Georgelle M Smith, Reginald was raised in a vibrant home with his parents, his younger brother George, his Grandmother and her friend Nellie. He often remembered those years fondly.
Reginald was a natural athlete, playing on baseball and football teams through much of his high school days, and for semi-pro teams afterwards. But he still found time to serve as an Altar Boy in the Catholic Church for many years. During the 1940s his father bought a dairy farm near Grandview, Missouri, and later moved the family to a farm near Georgetown, Texas. Reginald had quickly become the key person that made these farms work. In 1947 he graduated from Georgetown High, even as worked mornings and evenings on the farm. A particularly memorable period of time came after his father had bought a farm in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas to supply alfalfa to the dairy cows. It was Reginald who went to the Rio Grande on his own, at age 19, and turned the alfalfa farm into a success. In 1951 he joined the U.S. Navy with his brother George, where he served for four years during the Korean War until being honorably discharged on February 1st, 1955. His principal duty in the Navy was as a flight instructor for Navy air pilots at Saufley Field in Pensacola, Florida. While in the Navy, in addition to his duties, he played sports, joined a square-dance team that toured the southeastern U.S., and met the love of his life, Barbara R Cooper.
Reginald and Barbara married on December 10th, 1953, and, after being discharged, returned to Missouri to begin raising a family. With both of the brothers in the Navy, his father had sold the farm, so Reginald began working as an electrical circuit card technician at Bendix, near Kansas City. During that time, he began taking technical classes, and eventually graduated from the University of Missouri with a degree in Engineering, even as he worked full time and raised a family.
Prior to joining the Navy, Reginald and his brother George had taken an interest in big-game hunting, and, following his discharge from the Navy, Reggie gradually became fascinated by the allure of the Rocky Mountains. So, in the early 1960s he moved his young family to the Salt Lake Valley of Utah, where he began work in the Aerospace Industry. However, after Hercules closed down some of its operations in January of 1964, he transferred to Maryland, where he and his family lived for a time in the small and scenic town of Frostburg, outside of Cumberland. There he worked on missiles for the Poseidon Submarine. However, it wasn't long before he found an opportunity to return to Utah, and in February of 1965 moved back to stay. He and Barbara bought a home in Granger, Utah, where Reggie lived the rest of his life. Reginald continued his work as an Aerospace engineer until his retirement in September of 1994.
Through all those years, as well as the retirement years, he pursued his passion of hunting and fishing, and together with his family explored the Rocky Mountains from Canada in the north, down through Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Colorado and all throughout Utah. We are all deeply grateful for the many wonderful memories of those days, from the fishing trips on the Green River, to the backpacking trips in the Uintahs, to the many, many other places we visited and experiences we shared. Everything my father ever did, he did extremely well, and he will always serve as an example for myself and everyone who knew him. He will be missed and remembered always.
Reginald is survived by his wife of 69 years, Barbara, by five of his children: daughters Rebecca, Jean, Kathlene and Brenda, and his son Patrick, and by numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his parents, his brother George, and by his son Michael.
There will be a graveside service at the Elysian Burial Gardens Cemetery located at 1075 East 4580 South, Millcreek, Utah, at 10 a.m., on Tuesday, May 2nd, 2023.
Funeral services are under the direction of Affordable Funerals & Cremations. Online condolences at www.afcfuneralhome.com.
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Cindy Lou Poliska
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1980
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Mar 31, 1984
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2020
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Apr 25, 2023
Thank you, Dad, for all the fond memories, for the good you gave, for the time you spent with us, the skills you taught me, for all the places you took us to, and all that you contributed to your family. I’ll love and miss you always!
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Apr 27, 2023
My father
Dad was a man’s man. But he could be sweet and at times, funny. My wedding picture I posted on the timeline, has a funny story behind it. Randy was so long in the back with the priest, Dad said “if he heads out the back door ( meaning Randy)you go one way and I’ll go the other and we’ll head him off at the pass. I also want to thank Dad for my life, my baptism in the Catholic Church, the camping trips (especially Yellowstone Park), and all the discipline what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Thanks Dad.
Dad was a man’s man. But he could be sweet and at times, funny. My wedding picture I posted on the timeline, has a funny story behind it. Randy was so long in the back with the priest, Dad said “if he heads out the back door ( meaning Randy)you go one way and I’ll go the other and we’ll head him off at the pass. I also want to thank Dad for my life, my baptism in the Catholic Church, the camping trips (especially Yellowstone Park), and all the discipline what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Thanks Dad.
Thank you Dad for giving me life, for all the memories when I was growing up, the many vacations every year, the places we went, the cultures we encountered and the activities we did on those vacations. Thank you for getting me baptized in the Catholic Church, for helping me to receive the sacraments of confirmation, holy communion, and confession. These sacraments have gotten me through some very difficult times in my life and the church means a lot to me. Thank you for making sure I had everything I needed when I was growing up and even some things I wanted. Thank you for the family I was a part of for many years. You gave a lot during all those years to leave each of us with memories we can cherish for the rest of our lives. I pray you have peace and rest for your soul after a full and very interesting life.
Thank you Dad for giving me life, for all the memories when I was growing up, the many vacations every year, the places we went, the cultures we encountered and the activities we did on those vacations. Thank you for getting me baptized in the Catholic Church, for helping me to receive the sacraments of confirmation, holy communion, and confession. These sacraments have gotten me through some very difficult times in my life and the church means a lot to me. Thank you for making sure I had everything I needed when I was growing up and even some things I wanted. Thank you for the family I was a part of for many years. You gave a lot during all those years to leave each of us with memories we can cherish for the rest of our lives. I pray you have peace and rest for your soul after a full and very interesting life.
Dad was a multi-talented person who taught me a great many things. I have many memories of being out helping him where I learned valuable skills that have helped me in my life. The vacations have always been my favorite. I'm eternally grateful for the wonderful places we've been. He spent a lot of time driving places so his family could see the world's beauty and develop a true love of nature. He also worked a lot to make it happen. I learned discipline and how to plan and coordinate better, and to be punctual and dependable. I still remember the gentle look he would give at times and the statement: "You're a good kid; don't ever let anyone tell you different." Thank you, Dad, for all the fond memories and skills, for all the good you gave, for the time you spent, for all the places you took us to, and all that you contributed to your family. I will love and miss you always. Until we meet again!
There are so many memories that I have of my dad. He came to every school function. He helped me graduate from high school. He put on my first wedding in the backyard.Taught me how to shoot and drive a stick. The just goes on and on. He taught me everything I needed to know how to be a man and how to not put up with any shit. These memories I'll always keep close to my heart and I will forever miss and love him.
There are so many memories that I have of my dad. He came to every school function. He helped me graduate from high school. He put on my first wedding in the backyard.Taught me how to shoot and drive a stick. The just goes on and on. He taught me everything I needed to know how to be a man and how to not put up with any shit. These memories I'll always keep close to my heart and I will forever miss and love him.
There are so many memories that I have of my dad. He came to every school function. He helped me graduate from high school. He put on my first wedding in the backyard.Taught me how to shoot and drive a stick. The just goes on and on. He taught me everything I needed to know how to be a man and how to not put up with any shit. These memories I'll always keep close to my heart and I will forever miss and love him.
There are so many memories that I have of my dad. He came to every school function. He helped me graduate from high school. He put on my first wedding in the backyard.Taught me how to shoot and drive a stick. The just goes on and on. He taught me everything I needed to know how to be a man and how to not put up with any shit. These memories I'll always keep close to my heart and I will forever miss and love him.
There are so many memories that I have of my dad. He came to every school function. He helped me graduate from high school. He put on my first wedding in the backyard.Taught me how to shoot and drive a stick. The just goes on and on. He taught me everything I needed to know how to be a man and how to not put up with any shit. These memories I'll always keep close to my heart and I will forever miss and love him.