George was born in Richmond, VA on April 12, 1932 and was the son of the late Henrietta J. Smith and Ira O. Smith of Hopewell, VA. Soon after graduation from Fork Union Military Academy in 1950, he attended & graduated from the University of Richmond. George fell in love with Julie and the two were married on August 11, 1962.
After short-lived professions as a teacher and a chemist, George found his calling to the military and proudly served his country for over 20 years in the United States Army. This allowed him to have the chance to protect his country as he served during the Vietnam War. His military career was full of awards and accolades as he spent the majority of his assignments supporting and making many successful contributions to the Army’s Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC). Also, during his time in the Army, he completed 2 Masters degrees - one from the University of Virginia and the other from the University of Pittsburgh as well as traveled to many areas of the world. He retired in the Fall of 1982 with his last assignment directly supporting the Navy’s Commander in Chief, Atlantic Command (CINCLANT). During the annual fall college football game, he loved to give his Navy co-workers grief & complete misery when Army would beat Navy for the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy.
Known to all as “The Colonel” at the King Street & Poquoson Diners, George always loved his daily ritual of having a meal (or two) with “the gang” and talking about life events, sports, politics, traveling, John Wayne, and especially seizing the moment to share a few laughs and some jokes. He was an avid Dallas Cowboys fan from the 1970’s Roger Staubach era. Aside from enjoying the movies as well as studying history, especially during the Wild West era, George will forever be remembered for his ability to always tell a good story, his array of jokes, and his non-stop clever wittiness. He truly had an incredibly wicked sense of good humor that rubbed off on anyone that was near him. Always a very proud and upbeat person, George also had a deep level of compassion towards people with his overall big tender heartedness and generosity to help others.
He was preceded in death by his wife of 50 years, Julie, and is survived by his son, George T. Smith II of Yorktown, VA; grandchildren, Adam C. Smith of Yorktown, VA, and Chelsie R. Bumstead of Richmond, VA. Special thanks goes to the two angels on earth, Sandy & Alexis, who cared for him over the last 5 years; their compassion and friendship always brought him great joy.
The family will receive friends 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm, Thursday, April 2, 2020 at Parklawn-Wood Funeral Home, 2551 N. Armistead Ave., Hampton, VA 23666. The family requests casual dress attire be worn for visitation. A celebration of life will be held at 10:00 am, Friday, April 3, 2020 at the funeral home. Entombment at Parklawn Memorial Park will directly follow the service.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that expressions of sympathy be made in George’s name to the Wounded Warrior Project or the Peninsula Food Bank.
Friends are encouraged to visit www.parklawn-woodfh.com to share memories, pictures, and words of condolence.
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