Joel Wayne Smithy

Mr. Joel Wayne Smithy, 89, of Lake City passed away on Tuesday, June 24, 2025 at the Suwannee Valley Care Center following a lengthy illness. A native of Branford, Florida, he was the son of the late William C., Jr. and Mary Hatch Smithy and had been a resident of Lake City since he was a young child. After serving in the U.S. Navy during the Korean Conflict, he attended and graduated from the University of Florida with his Bachelor of Civil Engineering degree in 1962 and became a Registered Professional Engineer in 1964. Upon graduation, Mr. Smithy went to work with the Florida Department of Transportation until his retirement in 1994. He was an avid Gator fan and fisherman who loved fishing in the Suwannee and Santa Fe Rivers, was the Past President of the Board of Directors of the Lake City Elks Club, Past President of the Lake City Lions Club, and recipient of the Melvin Jones Fellowship. Mr. Smithy was also a past member of the American Association of Civil Engineers and the Florida Engineering Society. Mr. Smithy was preceded in death by his brother Lawrence Glenn Smithy and grandson, Benjamin Ward Smithy.
Mr. Smithy is survived by his son Bradford Wayne "Brad" Smithy (Laura); daughter, Jennifer Smithy Bedenbaugh (David); sister, Ramona Crews; brother, Gerald Smithy; grandchildren, William Smithy (Amanda), Anna Smithy, Logan Bedenbaugh, Lucas Bedenbaugh (Leslie Ann), and Landyn Bedenbaugh.
Graveside funeral services will be held at 10:00 A.M. Friday, June 27, 2025 at the Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens Cemetery with family officiating. Interment will follow. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Boys Town Charity at www.boystown.org.
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