Arthur "Art" Smith

Art was born on April 22, 1944 in Prairie City, Oregon to Harold Ivan Smith and Mary Violet (Heath) Smith.  He died peacefully on January 20, 2023, in Brighton, Colorado with his family by his side.

Art is survived by his wife, Linda Diane (Soukup), daughter Mary Lou, daughter-in-law Heather Deidre, son Richard Harold, daughter-in-law Dr. Lisa Christine, and three wonderful grandchildren, Kylah Diane, Sarah Rose and Thomas Reed.  He is also survived by a sister Angela Sorenson and a brother Bernie Smith.

He is preceded in death by his parents Mary Violet (Heath) Smith, Harold Ivan Smith, a sister Connie Lorretta Johnson, and brothers Sonny Smith and Ernie Smith.

Art graduated from Union High School in Union, Oregon in 1963.  He served in the U.S. Navy from 1966 to 1970, during the Viet Nam War.  He was on the aircraft carrier, U.S.S. Bon Homme Richard, CV-31 performing various “top secret” tasks for the entire four years of service to our country.  Art was a life member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

After he returned from his military service, he met his wife Linda in August of 1973 on a blind date.  It was instant love for Art, however, it took Linda a few weeks longer.  It ended up in everlasting true love for both.  Art and Linda were married four months after that blind date!  They both knew it was meant to be – for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, “till death do we part”.  In their life together, they experienced all that and never stopped loving and caring for each other!  December 2023 was to be their 50th anniversary!

Art worked for approximately 35 years in the banking industry in the “back office” work of item processing for banks.  Health issues forced him to take disability retirement in 1997.   He loved spending time with his entire family.  There were many crazy camping trips with his family over the years.  After retirement, he and Linda spent a few years traveling in their RV and taking a few cruises to Alaska, Hawaii, South Pacific, Greenland, Iceland, and numerous ports in Europe.

Funeral Mass will be held at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Northglenn, Colorado at 10:30 am on Thursday, February 2, 2023.  Mass will be followed by full military service and interment at Fort Logan National Cemetery in Colorado.  In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations in Art’s memory be made to the St. John Paul II Catholic Parish, Building Fund for the new church (stjohnpaul2.org) or to the Viet Nam Veterans of America (vva.org/donate).