HOWLAND — William J. “Bill” Smith, 81, died peacefully at home Wednesday, June 5, 2024, after a valiant seven-year struggle with metastatic melanoma, a disease that burdened his body but never affected his remarkable, resilient spirit.
Bill is survived and will be forever missed by his wife of 37 years, Stephanie Danes Smith, with whom he shared a life of devoted partnership, fun, faith and love, and his dear daughters and their families: Jeannine Smith (Ed) Malinowski of Spotsylvania, Virginia, and their son, Jacob, and Heather Smith (Mike) Starnes of Merritt Island, Florida, and children, Austin and Ashley Barnhill. Bill also is survived by sister-in-law, Karen S. Danes of Buena Vista, Pa., and her partner, Jay Hoar; brother-in-law, George Danes, and his wife, Lynn, of Howland; nephew, Jacob Danes, and his wife, Shannon, of Austintown; the mother of his children, Ruby Ferguson, also of Virginia; and many dear friends and neighbors.
Bill was predeceased by his parents, William Jacob Smith and Marion L. Hess Smith; several aunts, uncles and cousins; in-laws, Arnold and Dorothy T. Danes; and his nephew, Daniel J. Waggoner.
Bill will be remembered as a man of genuine warmth and kindness. It was his whole purpose in life to bless the lives of others, and he embraced and accomplished this mission with loving, steadfast exuberance. People of all ages and backgrounds gravitated to Bill because he was deeply empathetic, outgoing, friendly, humble, and genuinely good and good-humored (he was well known for his one-liners and quips). Everyone loved being in his company.
Bill was born March 5, 1943, in Pottsville, Pa. He was a 1961 graduate of Blue Mountain High School in Cressona, Pa. After graduation, he devoted his professional life to serving his country. He joined the United States Army and was assigned to the cartographic drafting school at Fort Belvoir in Northern Virginia. He later served at the Army Photographic Interpretation Center at Fort Holabird, Baltimore; Arlington Hall Station in Northern Virginia; and the Pentagon. He achieved the rank of Spec (specialist) 5 (sergeant). In 1965, after discharge from the Army, he was recruited by the Central Intelligence Agency and was assigned to the National Photographic Interpretation Center (NPIC), where he worked as a cartographer, visual information specialist and printing specialist. He worked on some of the nation’s most highly classified reports, books and documents. Throughout his three-decade career in intelligence, Bill earned many exceptional performance awards for contributions to national security. He never boasted about these accomplishments. At his retirement ceremony, Bill spoke of his profound love for his colleagues and for NPIC, which he described as a place where everyone “hopped over the fence to help their neighbor.” That was Bill’s life credo.
Bill was an athlete and outdoorsman. He loved swimming in natural springs and lakes, hiking, fishing and spelunking. He played high school football, basketball and baseball. Later, he played in several softball and bowling leagues in Maryland and Northern Virginia. After his retirement from the CIA, Bill took up golfing and it quickly became his abiding passion. He golfed in Virginia, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Florida. His most memorable golf game occurred in Royal Dornoch, Scotland. He worked for several years at General’s Ridge Golf Course (Manassas Park) in Manassas, Virginia. In his late 70s, Bill took up bike riding with his wife and he sported a very cool shark bike helmet. Amazingly, he continued to golf and bike even after losing sight in one eye and losing a portion of his left foot to melanoma.
Bill was a man of eclectic interests. He was a student of military history, especially Civil War history. He enjoyed touring historic battlefields in the U.S. and Europe. He was fascinated by rail travel, railroads and model railroading. He loved many genres of music, including ’50s and ’60s classics, rockabilly, bluegrass, bagpipes and polkas. He believed the Rolling Stones were the best rock-and-roll band of all time, and he also loved Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, ABBA and Bruno Mars. (He didn’t consider it a legitimate party if the deejay didn’t play “Uptown Funk.”) He also took great pleasure in high school and college marching bands and watched them almost daily on YouTube.
Bill loved all animals and no dog could resist him (or the dog bones in his pockets). He was a talented and generous baker, and his legendary seven-layer cookies graced two local wedding cookie tables. He regularly baked frosted lemon cookies for his Cleveland Clinic melanoma team, as well as his wife’s Kent State students.
Most of all, Bill had boundless enthusiasm for and confidence in young people, especially his grandchildren, nephew, missionaries and Kent State students.
Bill loved life and famously said, “I have a good day every day.” He lived life fully and joyfully. He fought melanoma without complaint and remained positive, active and hopeful. He unselfishly allowed his multiyear battle to be shared on social media to educate others about melanoma. In the process, he showed all who knew him how to face serious illness and adversity with courage and grace.
His family is grateful for the dedicated care provided by his health care team, especially his melanoma oncologists, Dr. Pauline Funchain and Dr. James Isaacs of The Cleveland Clinic; nurse practitioner, Jung-Min Song; sister-in-law, Karen Danes; family friend, Susan Ault; doctors of pharmacy, Alexsandra Nilges and Mitchell Blewett; and the integrated support team of Harmony Cares Hospice (Grace Hospice). Bill was deeply grateful for every caregiver he encountered at Cleveland Clinic’s Taussig Cancer Institute, including a legion of nurses, respiratory therapists, volunteers, valets and the Taussig Cafe team who prepared his favorite egg salad sandwiches and fruit smoothies.
Bill Smith was the love of so many lives — steadfast son, husband, father, grandfather, son-in-law, brother-in-law, uncle, neighbor, friend. We wanted more years with him, and we hope and pray for an eternal reunion with him.
On Wednesday, June 12, 2024, family and friends will gather to memorialize Bill at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2205 Tibbetts Wick Road, Girard. An American Legion Honor Guard presentation will be 9:45 a.m.; the memorial service will begin at 10 a.m. Following the service, Bill’s wife will host a celebration-of-life luncheon at Ciminero’s Banquet Centre, 123 N. Main St., Niles. All are welcome to attend.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in Bill’s memory may be made to the missionary fund of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (give.ChurchofJesusChrist.org/missionaryfund); Cleveland Clinic’s cancer research fund, VeloSano (www.velosano.org); or a charity of your choice.
Arrangements by Holeton-Yuhasz Funeral Home in Niles. Visit holetonyuhasz.com to view this tribute and share condolences.
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