Paul Raymond Smith

1945 - 2020

Paul Raymond Smith

Paul Raymond Smith was born November 25, 1945, in Alexandria, Virginia. He grew up in Kadoka, South Dakota, and later lived in Pennsylvania and Seattle, WA. He died on July 19, 2020, in Rapid City, SD from a sepsis infection complicated by his 31/2 year courageous battle with multiple myeloma.

Paul earned a BA in 1968 from Wheaton College in Illinois where he met his wife Carreen. He received a Master of Divinity from Gordon-Conwell, Theological Seminary in Massachusetts, and a Doctor of Ministry from Trinity Evangelical Seminary in Illinois. Paul served as pastor of Immanuel Presbyterian Church in McKeesport, PA, and West Side Presbyterian Church in West Seattle, WA. His ministry of 45 years touched the lives of church members and those who attended and countless others in their communities. He wrote four published books: "Jesus: Meet Him Again... for the First Time"; "Close Encounters: Knowing the Savior"; "God's Plan for Our Good"; and "Enjoying God Forever". At the end of his life he was working on a fifth: "A Survivor's Guide to Heaven, Hell, and the Hereafter".

He loved the Lord Jesus and cared deeply about the people around him, learning from what was important to them while always challenging others to deepen their understanding of life, the Bible, God, and how one's world and life view impacts daily life. He was a wordsmith, carefully dissecting complex issues and distilling them into words to be clearly understood. He knew how to argue, but stuck to the issue and didn't get personal. Multiple generations can still reference Pastor Paul's creative children's sermons designed to help children and adults alike to truly grasp the fundamental concepts of his sermons.

He loved books, especially the author C. S. Lewis, and he loved the Black Hills, where his family had built a cabin when he was young, and where he and his family vacationed his entire life. It became a contest to see how far he could get in his sermon before mentioning either C.S. Lewis or the Black Hills!

Paul and Carreen travelled the world throughout their almost 52 years of marriage, and especially loved their trips to Israel. He took classes on the history and geography of Israel, and additionally spent a summer on a "dig" in Dor, Israel. He considered it a privilege to share his love for that part of the world with friends traveling with him, including many from West Side.

It added to the sense of community that was shared during his years as pastor.

His church family, neighbors, readers, extended family, fellow amateur archeologists and astronomers, and even the medical community that supported his final battle with cancer agree: Paul was a critical thinker, a brave optimist, a passionate defender of moral truths, a lover of nature, and an artist with words.

He is preceded in death by his brother Brent, father Raymond Smith, mother Catherine Wulf Smith, sisters Raedene Vanden Heuvel and Karen Waterbury. He is survived by his sisters Gwenda Eliason and Robyn Bailey, his wife Carreen Armerding Smith, and their four children and their families: Lucian Smith (Sara), children Ellric and Allie; Taleigh Smith, son Zahir; Lindsay Steele (Matthew), children Luke and Kyle; and Miriam Foley (Josh), children Will and Taylor.

There will be a service to celebrate Paul's life, but it is pending due to the current situation of uncertainty. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Wheaton College, wheaton.edu; Wycliff Bible Translators, wycliffe.org; Wheelchairs for Nigeria, wheelchairsfornigeria.org, or West Side Presbyterian Church, wspc.org.

Please sign Paul's online Guestbook at www.Legacy.com.