Karl Smith

1926 ~ 2010 Karl was born in Hermosa Beach, Calif., to Samuel Karl and Mary Rebecca Smith, and died Tuesday, Sept. 7, 2010. He was a devoted husband and father. Karl and his wife, Sylvia, owned and operated Los Osos Auto Parts. They opened the store in 1975, after relocating from Sunnyvale, Calif. Karl was a machinist by trade and enjoyed working with his hands on cars and mechanical devices. He made life easier for Sylvia by inventing ingenious parts and tools for her wheelchair and living areas. Karl was particularly proud of his service to his country during World War II. He served in the U.S. Merchant Marines in the Pacific Theater, particularly in the Philippines where he saw action in the invasion of Manila and the battle of Linguan. Karl developed a deep and life long respect for the Filipino people''s fierce loyalty to family and country. He delighted in educating people about the important contribution that this branch of service made to the ultimate victory of the War. He also served for two years in the U.S. Navy as an aviation firefighter at the Corpus Christi Naval Air Station. An avid reader, Karl spent many happy hours at the Los Osos Branch Library. His varied interests and ability to speak intelligently on many subjects will be remembered by all who knew him. If you visit the library, you will find many volumes written about his favorite subject - the U.S. Maritime Service. It would be an honor to his memory to research the titles available. Some of these are: Heroes in Dungarees, Escape from Archangel, Patriots and Heroes, Unsung Sailors, The Forgotten Heroes, To Kill the Leopard and U-boat Tankers. Karl is survived by his wife and best friend of 50 years, Sylvia Smith of Los Osos; sons Michael Patrick Smith and Christopher Hale and their families; numerous nieces and nephews; and his varmint hound, Chance. His sons and their families were a part of every conversation and a constant source of pride and pleasure. At Karl''s request, there was no service. Cremation was by Los Osos Valley Mortuary and a scattering of ashes at sea has taken place. A celebration of Karl''s life will be held at noon Oct. 30, 2010. Call 528-2172 for details. Donations, in lieu of flowers, may be made to Hospice Partners of the Central Coast, 277 South St. Ste. R, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401; or Friends of Los Osos Library, 2075 Palisades, Los Osos, CA 93402.