William was born in Guyton, Georgia on September 13, 1935. An avid and eager student, he graduated from Georgia Tech in 1959 as a Civil Engineer. William started at NASA in Huntsville, Alabama, but in 1965, he transferred to NASA in Florida and helped send astronauts into space and put men on the moon. In the early 1970’s, he and his first wife, Diane Smith, and their three children returned to their hometown of Savannah, Georgia where he pursued a career at the Savannah Corps of Engineers until his retirement in the mid-90s. At the time of his retirement, they moved to Indian Harbour Beach, Florida. In 2007, after a very long illness, Diane passed away. Later that year he met Julia Ann Boyter and they were married in 2009. In 2018, William and Julia Ann left Florida and moved to her hometown of Gastonia, North Carolina.
William is predeceased by his parents, William LeDessie Smith, Sr. and Madgelena Waters, and his first wife, Diane McCauley Smith. He is survived by his wife, Julia Ann Boyter Smith; his daughter, Kathryn Smith Viau (Serge); his son, William LeDessie Smith, III (Deborah); his son, Judson Daniel Smith (Nanine).
A small service will be held in Savannah, Georgia later this spring.
During the last two years of COVID, it was William’s greatest wish to have an open house to meet all of his new neighbors in Gastonia, North Carolina. In honor of William, there will be a celebration of life for family, friends and neighbors.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.carothersfuneralhomegastonia.com for the Smith family.
