Clyde Smith

SMITH, Clyde Copeland

Clyde Copeland Smith was born July 27, 1939 in Atlanta, Georgia, to Frank Leon and Mary Lou Copeland Smith, and passed on June 15, 2025 as he suffered a fatal fall. He was a graduate of Georgia Military Academy (now Woodward), and Emory University and received his MS from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. At age 78 he graduated from Emory University's school for Advanced EMT, a special program offered to Emory students, faculty, staff and alumni.

While a student at Emory he met his future wife, Renée Lanford. They were married in 1961 and were blessed with three sons. He constantly said he was the luckiest man alive to be married with Renée. At Emory, he was on the varsity swim team and sang with and was a vice president and a tour manager with the Emory Glee Club. He loved to sing duets with Renée, among them "Everybody Loves A Lover."

He was a reserve member of the US Marine Corps, going through training at Parris Island, and he later became an officer in the Medical Service Corps of the U.S. Army reserve.

His employment included positions with State of Georgia Health Department, Department of Education and Department of Natural Resources. He taught high school science and for many years was a Social Security Disability Adjudicator. He founded and operated Personal Computers Mart and MedData Technologies. His last job before his official retirement was the Systems Administrator for the Georgia State Parks Reservation System. Later he came out of retirement to work with the Fulton County Drug Court helping people recover their lives and avoid imprisonment.

Clyde was an active member of North Decatur United Methodist Church, where he sang in the Chancel Choir over 50 years, taught Sunday School, chaperoned several Youth Mission trips, and served in many leadership positions, including chair of the Administrative Board. He also participated in a three-church Mission Trip to Kenya and followed that up with a trip to Uganda to visit a hospital supported by Doctors for Global Health. He served as Troop Committee Chairman for Boy Scout/Scouting America Troop 131 at his church. He and Renée founded BSA Sea Explorer coed Ship 131, and took 25 teenagers for a week's camping on Cumberland Island over their Spring Break for many years.

Clyde was on the founding board of Doctors for Global Health, DGH, a nonprofit founded by his oldest son, Dr. Clyde Lanford Smith (Lanny). He served as the first chair of the 18-member Board of Directors and continued to serve as a volunteer until his passing. Clyde always enjoyed working with his sons as soccer coach, Scout leader, and through family camping. He carried all three of his sons through the Indian Guide program, as his father had taken him. Being with his family in any capacity was his favorite activity. As each of his sons attained SCUBA certification he went on a dive trip with them. Clyde and Renée loved to travel and visited all seven continents and over fifty countries. They shared their home with many Emory students – family, friends and foreign students who became family and always stayed in close communication. Their latest guest, Garang BukBuk Piol, now an Emory Alum, is from South Sudan and is truly family, calling Renée and Clyde "Mom" and "Dad."

Clyde and Renée were on the Diamond Princess Cruise Ship to Japan in January 2020. Although they never had symptoms, they tested positive for Covid 19 and were mandated to a Tokyo hospital under Mount Fuji's eye for 3 ½ weeks until they tested negative twice. They became great friends of the Japanese nurses who took care of them and remain in email contact with them. Upon return to the US, they were among the first in Georgia to have had the virus and were interviewed extensively for weeks.

They have been participating in the Hope Clinic Research Lab ever since, donating their blood to help develop vaccines and treatment.

Clyde lived with integrity beyond reproach, standing up to social injustice throughout his life time and again and never mind any personal cost. He lived with loving-kindness, enjoying every day with infectious verve. He always shared anecdotes of his well-lived-life with those who would listen, while he himself listened with attentive healing to anyone who needed to talk.

Clyde was a volunteer with Emory Decatur Hospital for many years, first driving the courtesy cart, then serving in the Emergency Department. Breakfast chef extraordinaire, perpetual volunteer, lover of animals (especially his Lady), faithful friend, lover of music, encouraging Scout Leader, champion teller of indelible dad jokes, awesome dad and granddad, beloved husband and best friend of Renée, are just some of the descriptions of Clyde that will continue to bring happy memories.

Clyde constantly carried a card stating he was a body donor to Emory University Medical School. Since he died in Boston he will instead be a teaching cadaver in Boston University Medical School in the BU "Silent, and Excellent, Teachers" program, and the family is happy that his strong desire will be fulfilled.

Clyde was predeceased by his parents; a brother-in-law, Dr. Charles Lanford; and a brother-in-law, Rev. Robert Lanford. He is survived by his wife Renée; his three sons, Dr. Clyde Lanford (Lanny) Smith, Attorney and Judge David L. Smith (Liana) and Timothy M. Smith (Jennifer); and his grandchildren: Sawyer Smith, Kelsey Smith, Gavin Smith, Isaac Smith, Artemis Mukherjee-Smith, Ruben Chinchon Smith, Miriam Chinchon Smith, and Isabel Chinchon Smith; his brother-in-law, Rev Thomas C. Lanford (Roberta); his sister in-law, Shirley H. Lanford; his sister-in-law, Mary J. Lanford; his beloved retriever mix, "Lady"; and many very special nieces and nephews. The memorial service will be August 16, 3:00 at North Decatur United Methodist Church, 1523 Church St., Decatur, GA. If desired, please consider memorial donations to Doctors for Global Health, 2669 E. Genesee St, Syracuse, NY 13224.