Thomas Jeffery "Tom" Smith

Thomas Jeffery Smith, (Tom) passed away peacefully in his home with his wife Susie and his beloved dog Caba by his side, on October 15 th, 2025. He was born December 1 st, 1956, in Santa Monica, CA to John and Pauline Smith. Tom's life was rich with family, hard work, and adventure.

Tom and his family moved to Santa Barbara in 1960. Growing up, he rode his bicycle all over Santa Barbara and then discovered motorcycles. He loved working on motorcycles with his dad and shared his passion for anything with a motor. He would take off on any time he could, to ride in the mountains or desert. In his teen years, he competed in motocross and earned many awards.

He always had a love and affection for animals. Dogs and horses were his favorites. He rode horses and started working cattle in his early adulthood. Throughout his life, he always had a project of some sort going on. He was proficient in welding and repaired and created many things. He developed a love for watching car racing and watched the Indy 500 and Nascar all his adult life. He spent his last morning on earth watching Nascar, with his son Sam by his side.

He worked as a heavy equipment operator for 45 years. When he took brief breaks from his career, he worked as a wrangler at Circle Bar-B Ranch in Gaviota California. He also worked on many other ranches doing whatever jobs needed to be done. Tom had a bit part in the movie "Of Mice and Men."

Tom and Susie created a beautiful life together for 31 years with lots of love, laughter and tears. They shared many adventures on horseback, in their trusty side-by-side, and on foot – hiking many trails in California and Southern Utah. Tom had a sharp wit and a cowboy sense of humor. He was warm and welcoming with those in his circle of friends and will be missed by many.

He is survived by his sister Valerie Chisum (Dwight) , his children Terry Harsha (Kristen), Jessica Smith, and Samuel Smith (Annie),7 grandchildren and his wife Susie. He is preceded in death by his mother and father and brother John Smith.

The family would like to express a special thanks to the wonderful caregivers at Zions Way and the professional and compassionate help of the Mosdell Mortuary.

Celebration of Life will be held at noon on November 4 th at 1710 S. Crimson Road, Kanab Utah.