William Russell Smith Jr.

William Russell Smith Jr. William Russell Smith Jr., 74, peacefully passed away on January 19, 2018, at his home in Paso Robles. Born in Oakland, CA in 1943 to William and Virginia Smith, he was raised in Richland, WA and San Jose, CA. After serving in the U.S. Navy, he joined the San Jose Police Department, retiring after 27 years. Bill had a passion for sports and was a dedicated coach. A lifelong outdoorsman, he enjoyed hunting, fishing, a good game of golf, fine wine and traveling the world. He was a member of the Elks Lodge for 45 years. Bill leaves behind his wife of 31 years, Betty Smith; son, Jeffrey Malone; daughter, Jennifer Fanning (Jake); grandchildren: Madison and Ethan; siblings: Judy Coulson (Bill), Jill Shanbrom (Bill) and Brian Smith; numerous nieces and nephews; and countless friends. He leaves a huge hole in all our hearts. Surely when he arrived in Heaven and was asked how he is, he would say, as he always did, "Fantastic-But I'm getting better!" A Celebration of Bill's Life will be held at 2:00 pm, Saturday, February 10, 2018, at San Jose Elks Lodge. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Paso Robles Bearcat Boosters/Bill Smith Memorial Scholarship Fund at P.O. Box 22, Paso Robles, CA 93447 (or online at bearcat boosters.com).