Clarence L. Smith

Clarence L. Smith SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Clarence L. "Butch" Smith of Santa Clara passed away Feb. 13, 2009. Butch was born April 19, 1952 in Oakland, Calif., and raised in Norfolk. He was a wonderful father to his daughter, Daniele, and is survived by his mother, Rose Smith, and his five siblings, Bonnie Bradley, Sandra Landen, Rosemary Curtis, Robert Smith and Denise Wilkinson and their extended families that live in or near Norfolk. He was preceded in death by his brother, Barry Smith. After moving to California in 1980, he maintained close ties to his family back east, maintaining his role as a father figure to his younger brothers and sisters. Butch was employed at Lockheed Martin as an engineer for 28 years and could be heard saying "I can't believe they pay me to do this." He was proud to be part of the team for the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) program and played a noted role in the success of the Fleet Ballistic Missile (FBM) program. He loved his work and his time off where he could be found sculling in Santa Cruz, golfing with his friends, or riding his BMW motorcycle, but Butch would say his biggest accomplishment in his life was his daughter Daniele. He doted on her as a child and became her biggest fan in her young adult life. He cherished her creativity and independence and was her cheerleader as she started making her own path.