Sonny Smith

November 13, 1938- December 4, 2021

E. B. “Sonny” Smith, age 83, died peacefully Saturday on December 04, 2021 surround by his family in Sanford, FL.

Sonny was born in Alachua, FL to William and Nellie Smith. He retired out of the Marine Corps as a Gunnery Sergeant, serving 3 tours in Vietnam. He also had budding careers as a deputy for the Seminole county sheriff’s department and also working for the Seminole county school system. He was married to the love of his life Stella Smith for 50 years before her passing in 2015.

Sonny might have been a hard shell to crack, but when you got that shell to crack, and you were able to see what was underneath it. You found the biggest and gentlest of teddy bear’s. And when he loved you he loved you with his whole heart, and was fiercely protective of you. He was a man of few words but when he spoke you listened because it was within those words you learned the life’s lessons he was about to teach, and it was something you are going to hold on to until the day you pass away. He loved sitting on his back patio overlooking the lake reading the newspaper eating his white powder donuts and sipping his coffee or Coca-Cola. And in that time you would sit with him on his patio overlooking the lake you learned how to respect time and not let time pass you by. He might have been a man of very few words but that didn’t mean you walked away not learning something or not knowing you where loved by him. As his family and friends we hold on to those moments, those life lessons he taught, those back patio times we shared. We’ll keep his love in our hearts and his memory will live on in each and every one of us.

He is survived by his daughters Francis Blackschleger (Russ) , Loriann Brude, and Dr. Karren Newman; his grandson Brian Smith (Cori) along with 12 more grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren; and his brother Dale Smith.

He was preceded in death by his wife Stella Smith ; his son’s Stacey Smith, Steve Vickers , Michael Smith and Andy Smith ; daughter Terri Rabun ; son-in-law Mark Brude ; his parents William and Nellie Smith; and sibling’s Leroy Smith, Lee Ray, Corena Parsons .

Funeral services will be held at 2p.m. Sunday December 12, 2021 at Baldwin-Fairchild Oaklawn Chapel & Oaklawn Cemetery, 5000 Co Road 46A, Sanford, FL 32771. Flower arrangements can be ordered through Baldwin-Fairchild at their website , Sanford Flower Shop Inc. (407) 322-1822 or Country Club Flower Shop (407)328-9899 .