Tom Smith

Thomas Joel Smith, beloved husband, father, brother, uncle, Gpa, and dedicated Green Bay Packer fan, passed away November 22, 2022, at Teton Healthcare of Cascadia. He was 83 years old and lived in Irwin, Idaho, with his wife, Lee Smith, and their dog, Atticus.
 
Tom was born in April 1939, in Waupaca, Wisconsin, to Ernest Vincent Smith and Lillian Mary Wied Smith. He graduated from and played football for Waupaca High School and then Oshkosh State College, where he earned two Bachelor's degrees, in Psychology and Economics. Tom served in the United States Army from 1959-1963, where he was stationed in Germany. 
 
On January 18, 1964, Tom and Lee married in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. They had three children: Chele, Tom, and Mitch. They lived in various places in Wisconsin and Ohio, then in 1979, moved their family to Idaho Falls, where Tom worked as a Systems Manager, first for EG&G, and then retired from Lockheed. In 2005, they moved to the mountains of Irwin, Idaho, where he enjoyed getting to know the kids in the valley and driving the school bus until 2021. He was a member of the Catholic Church. 
 
He lived for cheering on the Packers with Lee and discussing the games with his sons, Tom and Mitch. He also loved hunting with his son, Tom, enjoying a good bonfire with his son, Mitch, canoeing on Redfish and Stanley Lakes with his daughter, Chele, and listening to her play “The Entertainer” on the piano. He loved the outdoors and loved to play, whether it was teaching cards to his grandchildren, cribbage with his sons, snowmobiling, four-wheeling, or camping.
 
Tom is survived by his loving wife of 58 years, Lee Smith of Irwin; daughter, Chele (Bob) Howell of Boise; son, Tom (Melissa) of Pingree, son, Mitch (Cris Wilkins) of Swan Valley; sister, Avis Pings of Avoca, WI; brother, Keith of Wausau, WI; brother, John (Carolyn) of Waupaca, WI; sister, Julie Eiden of Eau Claire, WI; ten wonderful grandchildren and twelve amazing great-grandchildren.
 
He was preceded in death by his parents and two siblings, his brother, Leland, and sister, Bette Daly.
 
The service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, December 2, 2022, at Chapel in the Valley, followed by Military Honors performed by the Swan Valley American Legion and the Idaho Honor Guard. For those who would like to attend, the address is 3263 Swan Valley Hwy, Swan Valley, Idaho 83449.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be provided to The American Heart Association in his honor, if so desired.