SERVICE INFORMATION:

William Lee “Bill” Smith, Jr, 62, of Blanchard, Iowa, entered into eternal rest on Monday, April 17, 2023, at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska.    A celebration of life graveside service for Bill will be held at 2:00 pm on Sunday, May 14, 2023, at the Blanchard Cemetery, Blanchard, Iowa.  A Celebration of Life gathering will be held after the graveside service at the Blanchard Community Building from 2:30 to 4:30 pm.

OBITUARY:

William Lee “Bill” Smith, Jr, was born on September 30, 1960, in Pasadena, Texas, to Betty Lou (Fellers) and William Lee Smith, Sr.

In 1981, he joined the United States Marine Corps and proudly served until 1985.

He enjoyed family vacations, especially ones to Estes Park, Colorado, where he spent time trout fishing, hiking and taking trips to Donut Haus looking for the ones with the “best sprinkles” with his niece and nephews.

A brilliant carpenter, Bill could make anything look beautiful. He put in many days and weeks remodeling the house he shared with Caroline, painstakingly crafting all the new trim to match the original trim and building a great big front porch which became the favorite “room” in the house.

He loved the family pets, with dogs Smoochie and Kate, and Punky the cat being some of the favorites. They were a pretty big deal in our lives.

He (sometimes hesitantly) supported Caroline’s plant habits and appreciated and enjoyed a stroll around the yard looking at Caroline’s collection of (mostly) Grandma Polsley’s iris.

Most recently, Bill was employed as manager at Akin Building Center. He was proud of his work there and made some of the best friends of his life there. They were great friends to him and those who participated in the company golf tournaments always insisted on his presence and participation in the event even after he could really only swing with one arm.

On April 17, 2023, Bill peacefully passed away in Omaha, Nebraska, with family by his side. His smile, generosity, friendship and quick wit will be dearly missed by many.

Donations in Bill’s memory could be made to a charity of your choice.