Jimmie Smith

Jimmie Lee Smith

April 25, 1931 ~ June 29, 2020

Jimme Lee Smith, age 89 years, died on June 29, 2020, at Ogden Regional Hospital.

Jim was born on April 25, 1931 in Webb, Mississippi, to Lloyd and Effie Glass Smith. Jim and his family worked a small farm and picked cotton by hand, working dredge lines and a road construction crew before he joined the US Air Force in 1950. Jim attended Webb High School where he met his future wife, Martha Elizabeth Biggers. Jim and “Liz” married October 30, 1953 after he graduated from the U.S. Air Force officer and flight schools with the rank of 2nd Lt.

Jim was a devoted, loving husband, father, and grandfather. Jim and Liz experienced the blessing of bringing their first child, Marie into the world in 1955 and their second, Charles in 1960.

Jimmie was humbled by his experiences in the military because of his early life spent in near poverty growing up and considered his time in the military an unexpected blessing. He started as an airman in radar and electronics repair and when the opportunity came to apply to flight school, he took it and was commissioned a 2nd Lt. Electronics Warfare Officer and Pilot in 1953.

He flew missions at the end of the Korean War and was assigned to the State Department as liaison officer to the South Vietnamese Government in 1962 to 63 during the Vietnam War. He flew approximately 12 different aircraft in his career including the B-25, F-86, F-94 and most versions of the B-57 including high altitude missions in the B-57D and F models until his retirement in 1970.

After Jimmie’s retirement with the help of his wife, he built a successful real estate appraisal business. He enjoyed his family, friends, camping, traveling, a life-long interest in photography and electronics. He will be remembered for his deep, private faith in Jesus, his love of family and friends, a generous heart and giving away his pictures of hummingbirds and aircraft.

Jim is survived by his brothers, Sonny Smith and James Edward Smith; his sister, Juanita Allday; his daughter, Marie Kawaguchi and her husband, Gary Kawaguchi along with their children, Kyle and Leigh Kawaguchi; his son, Charles Smith and his wife Sharolyn Anne Smith along with their children, Audbrie Lowe, Veronica Adams, Kelvin Banks and 5 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Billy Smith and John “Red” Smith, and sister, Peggy Smith.

Jim opted for a small, private viewing for family followed by cremation and a private internment.

In lieu of flowers or gifts, donations may be made in honor of Jimmie L. Smith to either Zero the End of Prostate Cancer at their website https://zerocancer.org/ or the Intermountain Cancer Centers - McKay-Dee through Intermountain Foundation, 36 S State Street, Salt Lake City, UT 84111.