- Date Of Birth: July 2, 1931
- Date Of Death: August 16, 2022
- State: North Carolina
Douglas Hart Smith was born July 2, 1931 at Butterworth Hospital in Grand Rapids, Michigan to Willard Hart Smith and Edna Raymond Smith. He grew up in Milan, Michigan where Doug graduated from Milan High School. He went on to Michigan State University where he was in ROTC graduating with a degree in Speech Pathology. He started his teaching career in Paw Paw, Michigan. While there, he was called to serve in Korea for 19 months. Upon his return from Korea he got his Masters Degree at the University of Michigan on the GI Bill. He worked two summers at the University of Michigan’s speech camp Shady Trails in Northport, Michigan. It was there that he met a lovely Jayhawk named Delora “Janie” Trible in 1958. They were married August 22, 1959 in Palco, Kansas. They had three children Elizabeth Ann Williams, Richard Hart Smith, and Robert Craig Smith.
Doug was a lifelong educator. He became the Director of Special Education for the Farmington Public Schools in Farmington, Michigan and served for 29 years. They lived in Northville, Michigan for 43 years where he was active in the Presbyterian Church.
Doug was a kind, curious, learned, and talkative man. His faith was great. He appreciated art, music, human relationships and plants.
In February 2020 he was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer. After a brave fight of 2 1/2 years he passed away peacefully August 16, 2022. He is preceded in death by his parents and brother Jim Smith. He is survived by his wife of 62 years, three children, four grandchildren: Miles Brock Williams and wife Caroline Blake Williams, Owen Hart Williams, Otto Azariel Smith Litzenberger, Siggi Emmanuel Smith Litzenberger, son-in-law Gregory Allen Williams, daughter-in-law Cynthia Susan Greig, son-in-law Brian Wayne Litzenberger, brothers and sisters-in law Richard and Marlene Trible and Ronnie and Karen Trible and many nieces, nephews, and cousins.
