Tommy Smith

Tommy Wilbert Smith, a man of steadfast faith, industrious spirit, and deep devotion to family and community, passed away in Hillsboro, Oregon, on November 22, 2025. He was born on September 24, 1936, in Los Angeles, California, to Gladys Palmer and Gerald Wilbert Smith.

Tom grew up with a natural curiosity and talent for all things mechanical. As a youngster, he could often be found tinkering with his cousin’s dirt track race car, motorcycles, or the family car. His hands were rarely idle, and his ingenuity carried into adulthood. He ventured into the mountains to cut logs, later milling them with his Alaskan sawmill to create lumber. With those skills, he single handedly built a barn, a testament to his determination and craftsmanship.

After graduating from Oroville High School in 1955, Tom moved to Rogue River, Oregon in 1965, where he quickly became a respected member of his community. He served as president of the Rogue River Jaycees and was a founding member of the Rogue Valley Community Church. Throughout his life, Tom remained deeply involved in his faith, attending and serving as an elder in several churches.

Professionally, Tom was the owner of Tom Smith Insurance in Rogue River and also worked in real estate. His entrepreneurial spirit led him to Wallowa County in 1975, where he owned a Radio Shack store for a time, worked at Joseph Forest Products, and later ran an automotive machine shop. In 1988, he moved to Bonanza, Oregon, where he retired, though retirement never slowed him down. Tom continued to build, repair, and create, embodying the belief that work done with one’s hands is a gift. In 2015, he settled in Gates, Oregon, where he lived until his passing.

Tom’s life was marked by service, faith, and love. He is survived by his wife, Willena McGaha; his children, Tamara Dawn Clayton, Kenneth Monroe Smith, Gerald Scott Smith, Paul Allen Williams, Rhonda Jean Jirsa and Tina Diane Jameson; many friends and community members who cherished his wisdom and kindness. He was preceded in death by his parents, his first wife Joyce Hess in 1998, and his brothers Arnold Eugene and Roger Allen.

Tom Smith leaves behind a legacy of hard work, faith, and devotion to family. His memory will live on in the structures he built, the communities he served, and the hearts of those who loved him.