Daniel Smith

Daniel L. Smith SMITHFIELD - Smithfield Mayor Daniel Lee Smith lost a courageous 4-year battle with cancer. He never missed a beat building custom houses and commercial buildings, serving on town council, chairing the Planning Commission and attending NASCAR races. Dan was born in Norfolk and moved to Smithfield where he lived the last 53 years. After graduating from Smithfield High School, where he played basketball and ran track, he went on to earn a political science degree from Atlantic Christian College. Dan followed his father's footsteps into the building trade and became a true craftsman as a custom building contractor and the owner of Smith Construction Co. Dan was elected mayor of Smithfield in July of 2008 after 14 years of service on the Smithfield Town Council and 14 years on its planning commission. He served as chairman of the Planning Commission since 1999 and vice mayor from 2000 to 2008. In 2003, he was awarded the Virginia Chapter American Planning Association Planning Leadership Award for an Elected Official and Citizen Planner. Dan had a deep and abiding love for Smithfield and was devoted to the town and its citizens. He was past member of the Smithfield Jaycees, past president of the Smithfield German Club and a member of Smithfield Baptist Church. He is survived by his wife, Margaret S. Smith; children, Rachel S. Moore and husband Tony of Chesapeake, Byron F. Smith of Nashville, Tenn., Matthew S. Glass of Smithfield and Joshua A. Glass of Williamsburg; mother and father, Clifford L. Smith and Catherine F. Smith of Smithfield; brother, Michael G. Smith and wife Barbara of Suffolk; sister, Donna Smith of Richmond; three nieces, a nephew, numerous aunts and a host of cousins and many special friends. A memorial service will be held Sunday at 3 p.m. in the Smithfield Center. The family requests that, in lieu of flowers, remembrances be made to standup2Cancer.com., Team Start2Finish or to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, P.O. Box 4072, Pittsfield, MA 01202. www.leukemia-lymphoma.org. Arrangements by Pretlow and Chapman Funeral Home.