| Graduation Year | Class of 1945 |
| Date of Passing | Jan 12, 2021 |
| About | Obituary Donald Paul Smith passed away to his eternal home with the Lord on January 12, 2021. Born November 22, 1927, he was the son of the late Walter and Lena (Hahn) Smith. Don was known to most as Pappy, Smitty or Smith. Don had a unique sense of humor and a smirky smile that would charm you instantly. Once you met him, you liked him, and you had a lifelong friend. Don was 93 and though age and hard work challenged his body, his brilliant mind and keen sense of humor never left him. Nothing made hm happier than to do for others and to put a smile on their faces. He called his daughter every morning asking, “what can I do to make your day better?” Don spent the first 92 years of his life on Dublin Hills Farm. He took great pride in being the 6th generation Smith on a multigenerational farm. He used to say he was just a “Poor Dirt Farmer”, but he was an extremely intelligent man. In being a successful farmer, he had to excel at being a mechanic, chemist and engineer. He considered one of his greatest accomplishments that he was able to work alongside his son and eventually gift the farm to him to carry on the family tradition. Ever the John Deere man, he continued to work on the family farm well into his late 80’s. He needed help getting into the tractor but once in the cab, he was in command putting in many 10-hour days bailing hay and planting corn. He used to tell people he was retired even though he was still putting in more hours than the average worker between the farm and mowing grass at Glade Valley and Clustered Spires golf courses. Don was a graduate of Walkersville High School class of 1945 and was the official Class Poet and was reciting from memory “The House with Nobody in It” for friends just recently. He thoroughly enjoyed his class reunions with lifelong friends. Don was an accomplished baseball player and spent time in the Pittsburgh minor league organization. When he returned home to the family dairy farm, he continued his outstanding baseball career with many local teams and was well known for an unhittable knuckleball that even broke his catcher’s finger. A girl named Peninah from Emmitsburg heard about this talented handsome pitcher, so she paid 50 cents to go see what all the fuss was about. Don married that girl on December 25, 1950. They raised their family and worked side by side for 60 years until her death in 2010. Whether it was by station wagon, truck and camper or plane, they traveled the country taking in 48 states. Don and Polly were part of “the card group” which consisted of eight families whose kids grew up together and remain friends to this day. They also enjoyed “cutting the rug” as members of Woodsboro Dance Club. They shared their love of collecting antiques, Smith glass and paper weights. After retiring, Don and Polly would spend Januarys in Daytona Beach where they made many additional lifelong friends. In 2013 Don was reunited with a longtime friend, Ruth Epling, whom he met in Daytona Beach and married December 6, 2013. Together they enjoyed traveling between their homes in MI and MD, visits with family in FL, and marathon games of Mexican Train. Ruth’s greatest gift to Don was bringing him to Jesus Christ where they became faithful members of Pioneer Baptist Church. Don had an extraordinary bond with Pastor James Coblentz who he spoke to everyday, and many times, more than once. Being a Smith, Don loved to talk to people and was caught more than once holding the phone in his hand while trying to figure out who to call next. He loved fruit more than any human being and would often comment that a peach or pear was the best he had ever had while handing you his last one so you could share that same joy. Don loved to sing and would serenade Anita every time she asked. He sang her a new song about the girls in his life the day he arrived at Kline House. When Anita said that’s an awful lot of girls, he responded that he had to try to be fair to all of them. Being the unique individual that he was, he had a wisdom tooth that made its debut at the age of 92. This turned out to be a blessing because it allowed Anita during these unusual times to be able to spend a wonderful amount of time with him at appointments and share many lunches in the car and going for rides, and yes…more singing. Don’s heart was huge, and his level of generosity knew no bounds. There was no such thing as being inconvenienced when it came to doing for and helping others. He made the world brighter and his compliments were sincere. It was always his hope that he could make you smile and chuckle and perhaps you just simply felt better about yourself and your day. This is an eternal trait that will be honored and carried on by Anita and Riggin. Don is survived by his daughters Anita Koontz (Tom) and Donna Kolb; daughter-in-law Robin; 11 grandchildren, including a special bond with his darling angel, Alexa, 15 great grandchildren and his faithful canine Princess who gave him immense daily joy. Don is also survived by surrogate daughter Carla Charles who would call him every night and many nieces and nephews who fondly remember Uncle Smitty and their childhood experiences on the farm. He was preceded in death by his wife Polly Smith in 2010, Ruth Epling in 2020, brother Warren Smith in 2012 and his son Dennis Smith in 2017. The family will conduct a drive-by visitation (please remain in your vehicle) from 12-3 Sunday January 17, 2021 on the family farm located at 11340 Dublin Road, Woodsboro, MD. A graveside service will take place at 3:30 p.m. at Resthaven Memorial Gardens officiated by Pastor James Coblentz. Wearing of masks and social distancing will be in effect. The family invites you to leave a message or memory on our “tribute wall” at www.hartzlerfuneralhome.com. To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Donald Paul Smith please visit our Tribute Store. |
