Thoville George Smith Jr. 85 passed away peacefully at home in Boise, Idaho on Friday 24 June 2011 with loving family at his side. He bravely lived with ALS for more than 3 years; never a complaint!
He was born on The Isle of Cuba Plantation near Minerva, Louisiana on 5 August 1925 to Captain Thoville Albert Smith & Rhoder Belle Bonds Smith.
"Smitty", as friends called him, was all about airplanes. He took his first ride at age 10 and hung up his wings at 80 after a lifelong career dedicated to aviation: navigating, flying, accident investigation and instructing pilots as well as pilot instructors.
Enlisting at 18, he served in the Pacific during WWII and retired after 20 years as an Officer in the United States Air Force.
Upon retiring he served as a corporate pilot for 3 years before serving an additional 20 years with the Federal Aviation Agency as an investigator, Accident Prevention Specialist and instructor. He spent several more years helping Skywest Airlines grow from a regional to a national carrier. In his later years he was an FAA Flight Examiner always offering instruction to those he had failed. He was inducted into the Idaho Aviation Hall of Fame in 2006.
He was a man with a marvelous sense of humor and he was adored by his family. He was always leading us on new adventures and taking us to new places: He skied until he was way past 80, owned a sailboat, taught us to ice skate, camp, fish, clam, and run rivers in a canoe.
Preceded in death by Joyce Ann, his wife of 62 years.
He is survived by his daughters: Cherice (Henry) Weeks, Stacey (Ron) Guill and Dana Smith; six grandchildren: Jared (Stacy) Weeks, Christopher (Leah) Guill, Meredith Weeks Powell (Tyler), Leanne Luschar Fratti (Robert), Timothy Guill and Ryan Luschar; great-grandchildren: Frederich Guill and Alexandria Guill; brother, Pete Boudreaux (ReRe); and nephew, Michael Bodin.
He leaves behind many friends in the aviation community as well.
The family would like to thank all of the marvelous loving caregivers from Havenwood and Harrison's Hope Hospice Care.
Memorial Services to be held Monday 27 June 2011 at 10 a.m. at Bowman Furneral Home.
The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made in Thoville's memory to the Warhawk Air Museum in Nampa, Idaho.
Published in Idaho Statesman on June 26, 2011
He was born on The Isle of Cuba Plantation near Minerva, Louisiana on 5 August 1925 to Captain Thoville Albert Smith & Rhoder Belle Bonds Smith.
"Smitty", as friends called him, was all about airplanes. He took his first ride at age 10 and hung up his wings at 80 after a lifelong career dedicated to aviation: navigating, flying, accident investigation and instructing pilots as well as pilot instructors.
Enlisting at 18, he served in the Pacific during WWII and retired after 20 years as an Officer in the United States Air Force.
Upon retiring he served as a corporate pilot for 3 years before serving an additional 20 years with the Federal Aviation Agency as an investigator, Accident Prevention Specialist and instructor. He spent several more years helping Skywest Airlines grow from a regional to a national carrier. In his later years he was an FAA Flight Examiner always offering instruction to those he had failed. He was inducted into the Idaho Aviation Hall of Fame in 2006.
He was a man with a marvelous sense of humor and he was adored by his family. He was always leading us on new adventures and taking us to new places: He skied until he was way past 80, owned a sailboat, taught us to ice skate, camp, fish, clam, and run rivers in a canoe.
Preceded in death by Joyce Ann, his wife of 62 years.
He is survived by his daughters: Cherice (Henry) Weeks, Stacey (Ron) Guill and Dana Smith; six grandchildren: Jared (Stacy) Weeks, Christopher (Leah) Guill, Meredith Weeks Powell (Tyler), Leanne Luschar Fratti (Robert), Timothy Guill and Ryan Luschar; great-grandchildren: Frederich Guill and Alexandria Guill; brother, Pete Boudreaux (ReRe); and nephew, Michael Bodin.
He leaves behind many friends in the aviation community as well.
The family would like to thank all of the marvelous loving caregivers from Havenwood and Harrison's Hope Hospice Care.
Memorial Services to be held Monday 27 June 2011 at 10 a.m. at Bowman Furneral Home.
The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made in Thoville's memory to the Warhawk Air Museum in Nampa, Idaho.
Published in Idaho Statesman on June 26, 2011
Thoville George Smith Jr. 85 passed away peacefully at home in Boise, Idaho on Friday 24 June 2011 with loving family at his side. He bravely lived with ALS for more than 3 years; never a complaint!
He was born on The Isle of Cuba Plantation near Minerva, Louisiana on 5 August 1925 to Captain Thoville Albert Smith & Rhoder Belle Bonds Smith.
"Smitty", as friends called him, was all about airplanes. He took his first ride at age 10 and hung up his wings at 80 after a lifelong career dedicated to aviation: navigating, flying, accident investigation and instructing pilots as well as pilot instructors.
Enlisting at 18, he served in the Pacific during WWII and retired after 20 years as an Officer in the United States Air Force.
Upon retiring he served as a corporate pilot for 3 years before serving an additional 20 years with the Federal Aviation Agency as an investigator, Accident Prevention Specialist and instructor. He spent several more years helping Skywest Airlines grow from a regional to a national carrier. In his later years he was an FAA Flight Examiner always offering instruction to those he had failed. He was inducted into the Idaho Aviation Hall of Fame in 2006.
He was a man with a marvelous sense of humor and he was adored by his family. He was always leading us on new adventures and taking us to new places: He skied until he was way past 80, owned a sailboat, taught us to ice skate, camp, fish, clam, and run rivers in a canoe.
Preceded in death by Joyce Ann, his wife of 62 years.
He is survived by his daughters: Cherice (Henry) Weeks, Stacey (Ron) Guill and Dana Smith; six grandchildren: Jared (Stacy) Weeks, Christopher (Leah) Guill, Meredith Weeks Powell (Tyler), Leanne Luschar Fratti (Robert), Timothy Guill and Ryan Luschar; great-grandchildren: Frederich Guill and Alexandria Guill; brother, Pete Boudreaux (ReRe); and nephew, Michael Bodin.
He leaves behind many friends in the aviation community as well.
The family would like to thank all of the marvelous loving caregivers from Havenwood and Harrison's Hope Hospice Care.
Memorial Services to be held Monday 27 June 2011 at 10 a.m. at Bowman Furneral Home.
The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made in Thoville's memory to the Warhawk Air Museum in Nampa, Idaho.
Published in Idaho Statesman on June 26, 2011
He was born on The Isle of Cuba Plantation near Minerva, Louisiana on 5 August 1925 to Captain Thoville Albert Smith & Rhoder Belle Bonds Smith.
"Smitty", as friends called him, was all about airplanes. He took his first ride at age 10 and hung up his wings at 80 after a lifelong career dedicated to aviation: navigating, flying, accident investigation and instructing pilots as well as pilot instructors.
Enlisting at 18, he served in the Pacific during WWII and retired after 20 years as an Officer in the United States Air Force.
Upon retiring he served as a corporate pilot for 3 years before serving an additional 20 years with the Federal Aviation Agency as an investigator, Accident Prevention Specialist and instructor. He spent several more years helping Skywest Airlines grow from a regional to a national carrier. In his later years he was an FAA Flight Examiner always offering instruction to those he had failed. He was inducted into the Idaho Aviation Hall of Fame in 2006.
He was a man with a marvelous sense of humor and he was adored by his family. He was always leading us on new adventures and taking us to new places: He skied until he was way past 80, owned a sailboat, taught us to ice skate, camp, fish, clam, and run rivers in a canoe.
Preceded in death by Joyce Ann, his wife of 62 years.
He is survived by his daughters: Cherice (Henry) Weeks, Stacey (Ron) Guill and Dana Smith; six grandchildren: Jared (Stacy) Weeks, Christopher (Leah) Guill, Meredith Weeks Powell (Tyler), Leanne Luschar Fratti (Robert), Timothy Guill and Ryan Luschar; great-grandchildren: Frederich Guill and Alexandria Guill; brother, Pete Boudreaux (ReRe); and nephew, Michael Bodin.
He leaves behind many friends in the aviation community as well.
The family would like to thank all of the marvelous loving caregivers from Havenwood and Harrison's Hope Hospice Care.
Memorial Services to be held Monday 27 June 2011 at 10 a.m. at Bowman Furneral Home.
The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made in Thoville's memory to the Warhawk Air Museum in Nampa, Idaho.
Published in Idaho Statesman on June 26, 2011
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