Lawrence William Smith's Obituary
Lawrence W. Smith, 90, of Tucson, Arizona died January 17, 2015. He was born on March 31, 1924 in Hiawatha, KS, to Stanley Smith and Lulu (Meyer) Smith, the youngest of 11 children. Larry served his country in WWII as Radioman First Class in the United States Navy (1942-45). After the war, he opened an Army/Navy Surplus Store in San Mateo, California. He married Doris Cowden in December 1946 and has four children, Lawrence W. Smith, Jr. (Marilyn), Deborah Smith, Bernadine Calkins (Lyle) and Karen Thomas, all of Tucson.
In 1963 the family moved to Tucson, AZ where Larry worked with his brothers, Alfred, David, Paul, and Steve in Smith Bros. Fences. In 1974, Larry opened a plant nursery specializing in water gardens. In 2002, Larry returned to Kansas and reacquainted with family and friends, including members of the Meyer family. He was a member of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Fairview. After a few years, the cold winters soon brought him back to Tucson, AZ.
Larry is survived by his children above named, grandchildren Tiffany Brown (Andy), Carmen Quintero, Melanie Hestekin (Michael), Gabriel Sierra (Elizabeth), and Jeffrey Thomas, 9 great-grandchildren, 2 great-great grandchildren, niece Rose Marie (Gordon) Hinde of Troy, KS., many other nieces and nephews. Larry was preceded in death by his parents and all siblings, and recently his niece Marian Thompson of Highland, KS.
Memorial service will be held at Evergreen Mortuary Chapel, N. Oracle Rd. & W. Miracle Mile on January 30, 2015 12 p.m.
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