Bill was born February 4, 1921, in Milan, Indiana, the son of Eugene F. and Pauline (Hiestand) (Schockley) Smith.
He married Thelma I. King on April 8, 1945 at Second Presbyterian Church Grace Chapel.
Surviving are three children, Cheryl Salvato of Normal; Connie (Greg) Montague of Normal; and Vicki (Mike) Kesler of Bloomington; six grandchildren, David Lehmann of Verona, Wisconsin; Trent (Kelsey) Weikle of Bloomington; Tracy (Scott McTaggart) Weikle of Bloomington; Troy (Courtney Sparks) Weikle of Bloomington; Melina (Mike Kruse) Montague of Tacoma, WA; and Alyssa (David Decker) Montague of Murphy, N.C.; seven great-grandchildren, Drake and Dawson Lehmann; Jada Weikle, Tamia Neal, and Liam McTaggart, and Kylee and Sydney Weikle.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, a brother, Bob Smith; and two son-in-law’s, Bob Salvato and Tom Weikle.
Bill attended Jefferson Grade School and later graduated from Bloomington High School in 1941. As a young boy he loved building and racing pushmobiles with his brother and some neighborhood boys. He enjoyed hunting and fishing. Bill and his brother, Bob, opened Smith Furniture on Front St. in Bloomington in 1948. In 1964 he joined Leath Furniture where he was a salesman and later the Assistant Manager. He retired in 1983 and got a part-time job as a furniture salesman at Stern's Furniture. He loved to go to Holiday Hills Campground on Lake Barkley in Kentucky to fish and spend the summers there. He later went to Okeechobee, Florida and Tuscon, Arizona during the winter months. He was member of the B. P. O. Elks Club and a 32nd degree Mason. He always had a story to tell to anyone who would listen and they weren't all fish stories. He was an excellent caregiver to his wife of 71 years before her death from Lewy Body Dementia.
Per Bill’s wishes, cremation rites have been accorded. There will be no services. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association or Mclean County Humane Society. Online condolences may be shared with the family at eastlawn-bloomington.com
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