Dwight Glenn Smith

Dwight was born in San Diego on December 10, 1942. When he was 3 years old, his family moved to the Bay Area, and they remained there throughout his upbringing. His family loved to go hiking, camping, and boating together at various lakes every summer. Dwight went to UC Davis and graduated in 1965 with a degree in Civil Engineering. He then joined the Navy and completed his Officer training in San Diego. He was assigned to San Salvador in the Bahamas for three years of active duty service. He very much enjoyed being part of the “Seabees” Construction Battalion and he remained in the Navy Reserves for another 24 years, finally retiring as a Navy Captain.

He met Elizabeth Allen in 1971, and they were married at Saint Brigid’s Catholic Church on May 5, 1973. They have been blessed with five children, who were all baptized at Saint Brigid’s and attended the local Catholic schools. Dwight worked in San Diego for 35 years as a civil engineer for the city, county, and state. Every summer, he enjoyed spending vacations with family and relatives at Donner Lake in the Tahoe area for beach time, water skiing, fishing, and lots of volleyball. When Dwight finally retired, he seemed busier than ever with many house projects, interesting hobbies, watching sports, and playing sports. He especially loved playing golf with buddies or family and spending time at the driving range, perfecting his swing.

He had many qualities that we all admired and he was the strong backbone of our family. His faith always came first, and his family was a close second. Passing on the Catholic faith to his children was also very important to him. He loved being a father and was interested in the kids’ different hobbies and activities. He never wanted to miss a game or an important event. In more recent years, he enjoyed watching the games of his grandchildren and coming to their different school functions. He also worked at keeping the pool “swim ready” for all the grandchildren to enjoy.

Dwight passed away on April 28, 2021 from heart failure after a short stay at the Naval Hospital. We thank God for the great gift and blessing he was to all of us. He is survived by his brother Dwayne, his sister Joanne, his wife of 48 years, Lisa, and his five children: Allison, Greg, Mark, Leslie, and Patricia, and 21 grandchildren.

We have been touched by the outpouring of love, support, masses, and prayers for the repose of Dwight’s soul and for our family. We are feeling very blessed and grateful for our big family and our many wonderful friends.

Donations may be made in Dwight’s honor to the Culture of Family Life in Escondido, California.