SMITH, George William - (April 17, 1939 – July 26, 2019) - George William Smith went to be with his Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ on Friday, July 26th, 2019.
Born on April 17th, 1939, in Louisville, Kentucky to George Michael Smith and Blanche Jeanette House, he and his older sister, Mary were raised in Houston, Texas.
After accepting a swim scholarship, he attended the University of Texas where he received a Bachelor of Science/Education Degree in Physical Education and graduated on August 16th, 1962. While teaching in Corpus Christi he met Judith Ann (Drury) whom he married on December 28th, 1971.
George had a very full life from Olympic aspirations in his young life to a deep commitment to God, family, friends and teaching in his later life. While in high school, he was ranked 9th in the U.S.A. in the 100 freestyle and hoped to eventually qualify for the Olympics. He had no idea at that time that while swimming would remain prominent throughout his life, God's plan was very different from his.
At the age of 32, George came to a realization of the truth of the Bible and made the decision to devote his life to following Christ. He found that where early in life he pursued fame for personal glory, his faith turned his life around and instead he endeavored to give God the glory.
George was a natural teacher who wasted no opportunity to help guide others, whether in the classroom, in the pool or in the Word of God. He taught and coached in both the United States and Canada, opened a swim school (RaBec Aquatics), led Bible study groups, mentored many individuals and sent out a daily devotional to hundreds of people. He had the ability to impact others with his wisdom and fervor for Christ and desired to lead "just one more" to the Lord.
A man of integrity in every aspect of his life, George's marriage was no exception. Judy was the love of his life. It has been said that their marriage was an example of what most hope to attain. George took the Bible's instructions of what a marriage should be and put them into action daily, treating Judy with respect, always valuing her opinion and making every decision together.
For his daughters he set a constant example of what a husband should be. As a father, George was a constant presence in his girls' lives. Family activites were a regular occurrence, both fun and educational. Though his daughters were involved in many programs, George was always in attendance when it came to games, concerts, recitals and competitions. The teacher in him helped to make doing projects and assignments an enjoyable undertaking...most of the time.
One thing, which was never in question, was that he loved his girls very much. This was evident in both his hugs and kisses but also in his rebukes. The one event in the girls' lives, which best represented his love for them, was when he told them of Christ's love and led them to the Lord.
Being a parent prepared him for the joy of being a grandparent. He was always invested in the lives of his grandchildren and showed them love in action, attending concerts, races, games and birthdays. His greatest desire for all of them and those he loved was to one day see them again in heaven.
George is survived by his loving wife of 47 years, Judy; his two daughters, Rachel Martin and Rebecca Smith; his son-in-law, Paul Martin; his three grandchildren, Drury, Naomi and Leah Martin; his greatgrandson, Logan Martin; and Logan's mother, Kierra Meacham.
Visitation for George will be held on Friday, August 2nd from 2 - 4 & 6 - 8 p.m. at Thompson Funeral Home, 530 Industrial Parkway South, Aurora, Ontario. Funeral Service will take place on Saturday, August 3rd at 1p.m. at Unionville Alliance Church, 4898 16th Avenue, Markham, ON L3R 0K6.
A funeral service will occur Saturday, August 10th at 11:00 AM at Heiligtag-Lang-Fendler Funeral Home, 1081 Jeffco Boulevard, Arnold, MO. Interment Saturday, August 10th at 1:00 PM at Danby Cemetery, 904 Danby Road, Festus, Missouri, United States. A reception following burial will occur Saturday, August 10th at 2:30 PM at Faith Baptist Church, 11835 State Road CC, Festus, MO.
Contributions in George's memory may be made to Unionville Alliance Church, https://uachome.org; and Peoples Christian Academy, www.peopleschristianacademy.ca. Arrangements entrusted with Thompson funeral home, Aurora, Ontario.
{fastsocialshare