William Leo Smith

Dr. William (Bill) Leo Smith DO, 93, of Glendale Arizona, passed away peacefully at his home on May 16th, 2023. Bill was born to William Rudolph Smith and Edrie Etta Saul Smith on March 5th, 1930 in Margaretta Township, Erie County, Ohio three years after his older sister Gloria. He grew up surrounded by his parents' large extended families, and still stayed close with several of his cousins, including Jim Hurst and Barb Nielsen. He was proud of helping his father and uncles on many masonry and construction jobs, including his parent’s house that he would return home to during his college years. Being around skilled craftsman undoubtedly helped foster his passion for woodworking, which he finally had time to pursue in his retirement with his son.

He graduated in 1948 from Sandusky High School where he earned letters in track, swim and football. He was a member of the 1946-47 Ohio State Championship Swim Team and won several other state awards including the coveted Scholar/Athlete Award his senior year. In 2001, as recognition of his athletic accomplishments, he was inducted into the Sandusky High School Hall of Fame.

Bill earned his undergraduate degree at Ohio Wesleyan University in 1952. Bill and his roommate helped pay their tuition by living in the Grey Chapel bell tower on campus and ringing the bell throughout the day and night. He was excused from his classes early and used his track abilities to run back and ring the bell on time. Bill found lifelong friends during his Ohio Wesleyan days, including one of his best friends Paul Spangler, and this is also when he developed his interest in medicine.

After graduation, he went on to attend the Kansas City University College of Osteopathic Medicine and became an orthopedic surgeon in 1956. He completed his orthopedic residency in Cleveland in 1960 and practiced for the next 10 years in Cleveland and Sandusky. When he moved back to his hometown of Sandusky, he opened his own private practice in an old house downtown that he remodeled as a medical office. His children have many memories of the treats and homemade gifts that his patients brought to him in appreciation of his care. It was in Sandusky that the family became best friends with Edith and John Biechele, and their three daughters.

Bill moved his family to Phoenix, Arizona in 1970. He was one of the co-founders, with Dr. Ed McDermott and Dr. Richard Emerson, of The Center for Sports Medicine and Orthopedics. It was a pioneering state-of-the-art medical facility combining orthopedic care, sports medicine and advanced physical therapy. He and his partners became the team physicians for 18 high school and community colleges as well as the NBA Phoenix Suns, and the Rattlers Arena Football team, and the Seattle Mariners spring training team. He remained a big fan of the Phoenix Suns throughout his life. He was a Fellow of the American Osteopathic Academy of Orthopedics and served as President of the American Osteopathic Board of Orthopedic Surgery in 1976-1977. He also devoted many years to traveling around the country and the world in order to train and provide accreditation to other surgeons, including some local orthopedic surgeons who are still practicing in Phoenix. He retired from his career in 1995.

Family was always Bill's most important priority. Bill married his first wife, Marlene Semmons, while studying at medical school, and together they had three children - Janene (Jan) Johnson, William S. (Bill), and Christine (Chris) Lind. After his divorce in 1981, he remarried in 1987 to Margaret Bliss and enjoyed 21 years together until her death in 2008. They were devoted to their combined five children, as well as Margie’s sister Dorothy McLaughlin. Together, they spent many years traveling around the country and visiting family in Arizona, California, Oregon, and Washington and especially loved the thrill of visiting Margie’s daughter and family on the Kwajalein Islands, in the middle of the South Pacific.

He spent the last ten years living independently in his own casita on his son Bill’s property. He loved being an integral part of the family with Bill, his wife Beth, and his two youngest grandchildren Madeline and Aaron. He watched Maddie and Aaron grow up, swim competitively as he had, and graduate from ASU and high school this year. On the homestead, he loved to star gaze, go on neighborhood scooter rides and watch the chickens, sheep and goats play. He enjoyed going shopping and just getting out to see the town grow. He loved eating ice cream, chile rellenos and cake with lots of frosting! The grandkids got to share some special traditions with him that they will always cherish. He also loved traveling to visit his daughters and their families. He spent many happy days watching lacrosse games, flower shopping at nurseries, frequenting hardware stores, and eating at Asian noodle restaurants near Santa Monica, CA with Chris and her two sons Erik and Ethan. He loved the Pacific Northwest and traveling to Lake Oswego, Oregon and the Hood Canal in Washington to spend time with his daughter Jan, her husband Rick and their three boys Ryan, Matthew and Trevor. In addition to all the lacrosse games, he loved shucking and eating raw oysters, and watching the birds and boats on the lake, which brought up fond memories of sailing on Sandusky Bay. His family and friends will miss him dearly, may he rest in peace.

His final resting place will be in Sandusky, Ohio along with his parents who have preceded him. Graveside memorial services will be held in the near future.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.AdvantageMaryvale.com for the Smith family.