David L. Smith

SMITH, HUGHES, SMITH

Posted By: Sarah Fletcher (email)
Date: 12/29/2016 at 12:51:59

David L. Smith, 78, of Iowa City, passed away Sunday, December 25, 2016 at Iowa City Rehabilitation and Health Care Center.

Visitation will be Thursday from 3:00 to 6:00 pm at Lensing Funeral & Cremation Service in Iowa City. Funeral Services will begin Friday at 11:00 am at the funeral home. Entombment will follow in Memory Gardens Mausoleum in Iowa City.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Iowa City Hospice or the Mercy Hospital Foundation.

David Smith was born November 28, 1938 in Boone, Iowa, to Charles and Helen (Hughes) Smith. He was a 1957 graduate of the Stratford Iowa High School. He served in the US Army in Germany.

Mr. Smith was employed as a letter carrier for 22 years at the Iowa City Post Office. He was a retired member of the National Association of Letter Carriers Branch 483 of Iowa City. He most recently worked as a circulation driver at the Iowa City Press Citizen. He enjoyed his family, friends, Iowa football, car racing and model trains.

Survivors include his brother and sister-in-law Daryl and Jane Smith of Wilmington, Illinois and a niece Laura, also of Wilmington.

Memories shared by David's family:

David and his brother Daryl were the children of Charles and Helen Smith. He grew up on the family farm near Stratford, Iowa and enjoyed all that farm life entails, including the hard work of growing crops and taking care of livestock. On the farm, it tends to be just the family, so David and Daryl enjoyed many hours playing together. They’d play baseball out in the yard and basketball in a neighbor’s barn. Monopoly was also a great pastime.

Home life was loving and supportive. The boys had a wonderful set of parents. They never heard shouting or arguing. They endured two rough years when Mom was hospitalized with tuberculosis. They would faithfully visit her at Oakdale Sanitarium in Coralville. Neighbors came to their aid. Neighbors are another great part of country life. They help each other and share so much in common.

The Patterson kids would drive the horse and cart over and they would all head to country school together. In country school where there is more than one grade in the room, kids really get to know each other. David went through the Stratford school system. After graduation, the family moved to a farm just south of Williams.

One story from the move was David’s dog’s journey. Buster walked and somehow found his way back to Stratford - a distance of about 30 miles. The former neighbors called and said he was there. He was convinced to stay in Williams.

After high school David served in the US Army. He received training at Ft. Benning, Georgia and served in Germany where he worked with vehicles. He was also fascinated by trucks and took great note of them. He was also a fan of dirt track races, beginning at the track in Webster City. He spent many hours at races – particularly West Liberty and Knoxville. David also attended a NASCAR race at the Chicagoland Raceway with Daryl.

Besides racing, David loved sports. He attended games at City High and Regina, both near his home. And of course, there were the Hawkeyes. He and Daryl had season tickets for many years and enjoyed the games from the heat of the beginning of the season to the freezing cold at the end.

One of the highlights of his life was a train trip he took to the West Coast, up the coast into Canada and crossing to Chicago.

David enjoyed his life in Iowa City. He came as a postal mail carrier and walked many a mile for 22 years. It was a perfect job for him. It was unusual that he delivered mail in the neighborhood where he lived.

He made many good friends and was a good friend to many. He would mow lawns, plow snow and be of any help he could. He had a very friendly personality. After retirement from the Post Office, David distributed the Iowa City Press Citizen. He would be up bright and early to make his deliveries. The “all kinds of weather” routine continued.

Sadly, Parkinson’s disease took over his life. He moved to Iowa City Rehab where he lived for a year. On his 78th birthday his dear friends arranged a party for him. It was a wonderful occasion to be with everyone again. David’s family is small – his brother Daryl, sister-in-law Jane and niece Laura. They and his friends were all important to him.

Now that his life with us has ended, the crypt will hold his body, God will hold his Soul and all of us will hold his Memory.

Lensing Funeral & Cremation Service
 

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