James L. Smith

James L. Smith, 88, of Spring Hill, FL passed away Monday morning (9/4/23). Born on February 9, 1935 in Fowler, IN he is preceded in death by his parents, Herbert & Dorotha; two sisters, Beverly Kennedy & Juliana DeGood; and survived by his wife of 48 years, Linda Grider-Smith; one son, Rhett Fletcher of TX, and five daughters, Deanna of CA, Dana Scully (Adam) of Australia, Lori Smith of FL, Jennessy Smith-Messina (Michael) of Florida; and Tara Udell (Lance) of FL. Also six grandsons, two granddaughters, three great grandsons and one great granddaughter; and one sister, Janet Bricker of IL. He served four years in the USAF Strategic Air Command as crew chief of the B47 Bomber during the cold war. “Smitty", as he was called, was a heavy equipment mechanic for 50+ years. Following retirement he designed, built, and flew radio-controlled airplanes. He was a member of the Masonic Lodge of Otterbein, IN for over 50 years, Tampa Bay Community Church and belonged to the West Pasco Air Modelers Association until he stopped flying his beloved planes. He and his wife loved to travel and loved meeting people. His family & wife were the most important things in his life. He will be sorely missed by all that knew him.

A visitation will be Tuesday, September 12, 2023 from 10:00 AM to 11:00 PM. A celebration of life for James will follow at 11:00 AM at Turner Funeral Homes, 14360 Spring Hill Drive, Spring Hill, FL 34609. Burial will be 1pm located at Florida National Cemetery, 6502 SW 102 Ave, Bushnell, FL 33513.

A Celebration of Life will be held Saturday, September 16th at Tampa Bay Community Church (3318 Moran Rd, Tampa, FL 33618) for those who cannot attend Tuesday’s service