Walt's Story
Walter
Watson “Smitty” Smith
The
life of Walter W. Smith, age 68, ended too soon on August 26,
1999, seven days after complications from heart bypass surgery.
Before his surgery he told us, “If
I make it through surgery, I’m happy!
If I don’t, I’m still happy!”
Those words will continue to bring comfort to our hearts
for all the hard days to come.
We know he is with Jesus.
Walt
to his friends, Smitty to his family, left behind a legacy of
humor, hard work ethics and a deep faith.
Walt was born in Lysle, Missouri, on May 23, 1931.
When he was young, his family lived in Kansas City, Kansas
where he was a fountain boy at Greenwood Drugs and a newsboy for The
Kansas City Star. The
rest of his growing up years was on a family farm near Louisburg,
Kansas.
Smitty
met his wife, Loretta Yates Galbraith while he was stationed with
the U.S. Air Force in Honolulu, Hawaii.
They were married in 1952.
The Air Force sent them to Fort Worth, Texas soon after
their wedding. It
would be 25 years before they would return to Hawaii.
Walt retired from the Air Force in 1957.
He worked in various fields, including restaurant
management. In 1961,
he relocated his family to California.
He loved the temperate climate and the variety of
entertainment that California offered. He worked in various industries, but enjoyed the lighting and
RV businesses best. After
he retired, he worked with his son to help him build a successful
contracting firm.
Walt
enjoyed fishing, bowling and spending time with his grandchildren.
He was full of silly rhymes and word games and
riddles—keeping the children entertained in the car, as well in
their many conversations together.
Their most memorable phrase from their Grandpa is:
“Don’t burp, you
rob yourself of a fart.”
He always made them laugh and enfolded them in his love and
laughter. Walt was
always a dreamer and had big plans for the future.
He taught us to believe in the impossible.
Smitty worked hard, jumped into a project with both feet
running and did his best with a joyful attitude.
He leaves his family an excellent work ethic example to
live up to.
After
his family the grand passion of Walt’s life was working for and
with abused children through Royal Family Kids’ Camps.
He served as counselor, fundraiser, and later as Grandpa of
the camp in Pinecrest, California for the past 12 years. He was
always excited about the possibility of what might be done next.
He always wanted to make the camp better, bigger and more
exciting than the previous one.
Walt believed that he would be able to travel around the
country and visit other Royal Family Kids’ Camps, assisting in
some way. He always
wore his starfish pin, ready to share with ANYONE who would ask
what the significance was and what it meant.
He loved helping these abused kids and making a small
difference in their lives.
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