David G Smith Sr.

David G. Smith Sr. passed away peacefully on December 13, with his wife of 71 years, Georgea, by his side.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Gladys and Jerry Smith; his brothers, Earnest and Darrell Smith; his sisters, Donna Gillotte and Gloria Larsen; his daughter, Jacquie Mitchell; his son, Dale Smith; his grandson, Eric Danielsen; and his great-granddaughter, Chloe Riecken.

David is survived by his beloved wife, Georgea Smith; his twin brother, Earley Smith; and his brother, Dick Smith. His children: sons David Smith Jr. and Damon Smith, and daughters Jannette (Chris) Root and Jami (Joe) Weber.

David was proud of his large and growing family and is survived by grandchildren: Chris Everitt; Hope (Scott) Greenfield; Erin Sturgeon; Thomas (Duane) Eberheart; Daniel (Juliana) Everitt; Bryan Danielsen; Joseph (Shannon) Riecken; Nic (Nicole) Riecken; Joshua Riecken; Derrick Smith; Dustin (Jo) Smith; Damon Alan Smith; Andrew Graves; Adam Graves; and Michelle Weber. As well as numerous great grandchildren and great-great grandchildren that held a special place in his heart, along with many nieces and nephews.

David proudly served in the United States Naval Reserves for eight years as part of the Construction Battalions (Seabees). After his service, he and his brother Earley worked in concrete for 45 years until retirement, helping one another build their own homes along the way. Following retirement, David worked alongside his grandson Thomas painting houses with JMS Painting for another 10 years.

David and Earley shared a passion for restoring classic cars, including a 1953 and 1954 Chevy convertible. They traveled across the country collecting parts and spent winters rebuilding the cars with help from family. David also enjoyed working on engines and funny cars at the racetrack with his brothers Earley and Darrell.

He loved the outdoors, spending time fishing and hunting, especially at Foster Bay and Big Ben for walleye fishing. In his 70s, David made annual trips to Slim Cabins in Canada with his brothers, nephews, nieces, grandchildren, and daughter. He also hunted elk in Wyoming for many years with family and friends and hunted deer on farmland along the Elkhorn River.

An avid bowler, David bowled in many leagues across Omaha and was a lifetime member of the Amateur Bowlers Tour (ABT). He won numerous singles and doubles events and cherished bowling alongside his grandsons, nephews, and brothers.

One of David’s greatest joys was gardening. Nearly 75% of his backyard was dedicated to his garden, where he grew everything, he needed to can pickles, tomatoes, tomato juice, and his famous salsa, his pride and joy. He grew peppers ranging from mild to extremely hot, with a personal goal of making someone say, “That is too hot!”

David had a heart of gold and lived by an open-door policy. If someone needed help, he did whatever he could. He believed strongly in paying it forward and did so many times for his family.

While residing at Brookestone Meadows, David became known as the “Bingo King” and loved putting puzzles together. The family extends their sincere gratitude to the Brookestone Meadows team for the compassionate care and meaningful relationships they formed with David.

David will be remembered for his generosity, strong work ethic, humor, and deep devotion to his family.”