John Smith
February 26, 1924 — February 10, 2008
John Clyde Smith, 83, of Head Waters, died Sunday, February 10, 2008 at McGuire V.A. Medical Center in Richmond. He was born February 26, 1924 at Sugar Grove, WV, a son of the late Joseph Berlin and Della Jane (Puffenbarger) Smith.
Mr. Smith served in the U.S. Army during WWII. He participated in the D-Day landing on Omaha Beach, Normandy, France. During the war he received a purple heart and 3 bronze stars. He retired from the U.S. Postal Service with 23 years of service. He was an avid hunter and fisherman and loved to play country music. He never met a stranger.
He was preceded in death by four sisters, Abby Eckard, Cleda Mitchell, Margaret Losh and Lillie Rexrode and a brother, Sam Smith.
He is survived by his wife, Joy A. (Mitchell) Smith of Head Waters; two daughters and a son-in-law, Jean S. Higgins of Churchville and Dawn S. and Ronald Armstrong of Middlebrook; a son, Sonny Smith of Churchville; and four grandchildren, Kenton Smith, Katie Townsend, Hunter and Shannon Higgins, all of Churchville.
A funeral service will be conducted at 11 a.m., Thursday, February 14, 2008 at Obaugh Funeral Home in McDowell by the Rev. Beth Pyles. Burial will be in Head Waters Cemetery.
Active pallbearers will be Nelson Simmons, Steve Varner, Bubby Stiltner, Algen Eckard, Elwood Baer and Eddie Blackwell. Honorary pallbearers will be friends attending the service.
The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m., Wednesday at the funeral home.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Highland County Rescue Squad, P.O. Box 268, Monterey, VA 24465.