David Smith

1943 - 2023

David Smith

Georgia, VT - On June 2, 2023, David Carroll Smith peacefully passed away surrounded by his family after a brief battle with an aggressive form of appendiceal cancer.

David was born in the small town of Turnersville, Texas on April 25, 1943 (on Easter as he often liked to remind his family). Midway through college, David proudly served in the U.S. Army as a Special Agent with Military Intelligence in Berlin, Germany and continued to tell many stories about his adventures there throughout his life. Upon completion of his service, he returned to his studies and graduated from the University of Texas at El Paso. David eventually quit his busy job as an orthopedic salesman to move his family to Vermont, so he could spend more time with his wife and kids. He always maintained that this was the best decision he had made (after marrying Pauline).

David was a loving and dedicated father, who devoted his life to caring for his daughters, never missing an opportunity to coach one of their many sports teams. He made it his goal to ensure his daughters would have access to every opportunity that came their way.

He loved the time he spent as a volunteer weight coach for Dartmouth College in the 90s and continued to enjoy his time weight lifting with friends in years to come. David also enjoyed remodeling his house over the years, but he was even happier when he could help his friends and family with their projects.

David served as the president of the Green Mountain Porsche Club and thoroughly enjoyed traveling around the state with the many friends that he met within this group.

David and Pauline recently moved closer to their daughter and grandchildren and loved playing card games with them and watching the beautiful sunsets over Lake Champlain from their backyard.

David was well-known for his great storytelling. One of his favorite memories to relive was how he knew he wanted to marry Pauline on the very first night they met when he asked her to dance. Over the years, they enjoyed spending many days with friends, bowling competitively, and watching Sunday afternoon football games.

He is preceded in death by his mother, Lena, father, Willie, and younger brother, Doyle. He is survived by his loving wife of 51 years, Pauline, daughters Julie and Leslie, their spouses David and Chuck, and grandchildren, Ethan, Molly, and Ella.

David sadly leaves behind many friends and family and would be thrilled to see the amount of love and support his family has received after his passing. Memorial contributions may be made to the Kilham Bear Center (Lyme, NH). At his request, no funeral or memorial service is immediately planned and a celebratory gathering will be held at a later date. His family would also like to thank the staff at UVM Medical Center and Franklin County Home Health for all of their care and compassion.