Thomas Smith

Thomas William Smith, 72, of Safford, passed away on Sunday, October 2, 2011 at the Sunset Care and Rehab, in Safford. He was born on January 20, 1939 in Dear Born, Michigan to Joel Thomas Smith and Lucille R. Ostrander. He married Bobbie Jean Lackey, on December 31, 1956 in Las Cruces, NM. They have been married for nearly 55 years. Their marriage was later solemnized in the Mesa LDS Temple. Tom grew up in Michigan and joined the U.S. Air Force at age 16. He was transferred to the Radar base in New Mexico and there he met his sweet heart, Bobbie. Tom was a great story teller and the kids loved to listen to his stories. He was an avid Reader and Writer; he wrote his own newspaper for a while and wrote a column in the Eastern Arizona College Gila Monster Newspaper, called the Resident Redneck. He also wrote many letters to the editor in the E.A. Courier as the Old Crack Pot. He was an avid baseball fan and loved the Diamondbacks and the Tigers. He is survived by his wife Bobbie of Safford; sons, Thomas William (Raynell) Smith, Jr. of Artesia, NM, Robert E. (Vickie) Smith of Safford, and James Buster (Karla) Smith of Safford; daughters, Tammy (Wallace) Holt of Sierra Vista, and Leanna (Rick) Williams of Coolidge; sister, Shirley (Harold) Bay of Duncan, OK; brother, David J. Smith of Safford; 17 grandchildren, 9 great grandchildren and 1 great great grandchild. Funeral services will be conducted at 10 a.m. on Thursday, October 6, 2011 at the Safford LDS Stake Center; friends may call one hour prior to services at the Stake Center. Interment will be in the Graham Cemetery, with Military honors by the Gila Valley Honor Guard.