William Joseph Smith

William was born on March 24, 1933 in Brooklyn, New York to the parents of Joseph (Baldassare Buffa) and Catherine (Spring) Smith. He was one of six children (Anne, Joe, William (Teddy), Paul, William (Willie) and Catherine). He attended Piermont Elementary and Middle school eventually attending Sewanhaka High School. The family dealt with the early death of their mother in 1945, which lead to the boys being raised at St. Agnes Home and School for Boys, in Sparkill, New York.

He enlisted in the Navy on October 18, 1950 (age 17), as an Airman Apprentice and was stationed aboard USNRS in San Francisco, California. In 1951, he was on U.S.S Fabius ARV A5 in Yokosuka, Japan. He later left the Navy on December 24, 1952, to pursue other opportunities. He loved to learn and did any educational course that was offered and achieved an Associate of Arts in Information Technology.

If you ever spent any time with William, it was apparent through his writing, wordsmith abilities and he vast overall knowledge, that he was exceptionally intelligent. His hobby was educating others about their rights as a citizen of the United States. He wrote numerous articles in the local newspapers and eventually wrote a book called “Common Sense Revisited”. He enjoyed volunteering in organizations such as the Jaycees, V.F.W, Volunteer Fire Department and other political and civic organizations. He once wrote an article titled “How may I help”, which focused on how we all should volunteer to any organization that will contribute to serving others. He believed in one’s right to have an opinion, the freedom of speech and overall freedom, which is why he loved the flag of the United States. One of his favorite past times was to play chess. When playing chess with William, you quickly learned it was not about winning, it was about strategizing the best move.

His life really started when he met Elizabeth A. Smith at a party in Floral Park, New York. He was attracted to her, offering her and her two sisters a ride home all night. When they finally accepted, he admitted he didn’t have a car but would ride the subway home with them. They were married on August 29th, 1959 and lived in Queens Village, New York. They started living in her parent’s house and later moved to Smithtown, Commack and then to Mineola, New York. In 1971, they moved to Florida and lived in Orlando and Lakeland but settled for the longest time in Polk City, Florida. In 1983. they moved to Warner Robins, Georgia where they lived for the next 33 years.

William and Elizabeth’s children included Donna Chapnick, Michael Smith, Karen Hawkins, Sandy Tillery, Christine LaPrade and Steven Smith. If Elizabeth had not passed away in 2018, they would have been married 65 years. William was survived by their 6 children, 10 grand-children and 16 great grand-children and his sister Cathy Buttacoli. He was proceeded by his parents, 4 siblings. Paul Hawkins (son-in-law) and his wife Elizabeth.

Grand Children - Elizabeth Worthy, Stephanie Brownlee, Tony Hawkins, Jessica Hope, Michael LaPrade, Heather LaPrade, Nicholas LaPrade, Steve Smith, Brad Smith and Terry Smith.

A celebration of life service for William will be held Monday, November 18, 2024 at 11:00 AM at Transfiguration Catholic Church, 1815 Blackwell Rd, Marietta, GA 30066. A reception following the service will occur at the church in the Adult Lounge.