- Date Of Birth: April 13, 1941
- Date Of Death: July 19, 2011
- State: Georgia
L. Herschel (Huck) Smith, Jr., 70, died Tuesday, July 19, 2011. He was born April 13, 1941 in Chattanooga to the late Anna Ruth Smith and L. Herschel Smith, Sr. He is survived by his wife, Debbie Tanner Smith of Chattanooga; daughters, Tammy (Eddie) Kirkpatrick and Denise (Jim) Cooper, both of Chattanooga; grandchildren, Brandy (Travis) Vincent of Soddy Daisy, Josh and Mallory Cooper, both of Chattanooga; great-grandchildren, Austin and Anna Vincent of Soddy Daisy; brother, Rick (Betty) Smith of Union City, TN; and sister, Gloria (Johnny) Cox of Hixson. He is further survived by many devoted nieces, nephews, and friends. Noted as a gifted athlete in the area, Huck excelled in baseball and basketball while at Soddy Daisy High School, winning awards and setting records, including the area’s all-time high score for an individual in a single basketball game (52 pts.), a record that still stands. He earned a B.S. while playing basketball at The University of Chattanooga in the early 1960s and then an M.Ed. from UTC in 1970 while working as an assistant basketball coach there. He coached baseball and basketball at Soddy Daisy High and basketball at Trion High School and Lakeview High School and was twice named Coach of the Year for his coaching efforts. Huck also was at the forefront of Chattanooga’s Slow-Pitch Softball dynasty, playing for Kobax and Thurman-Bryant. In 1990, he was named to Chattanooga’s Old-timer’s Sports Hall of Fame and in 2010 to the Soddy Daisy Alumni Hall of Fame. He left coaching in the mid-70s and entered the corrugated box business, starting in sales and eventually building his own box plant, Cherokee Valley Container. After selling the company, he finished his business career at Jamel Containers in Ft. Payne as General Manager. During retirement, Huck enjoyed his number one hobby – boating, building a boat, Against All Odds, and fulfilling a lifelong dream of “going south” to the Gulf through the TN-Tom Bigbee. Throughout his life, Huck touched the lives of all he met. He leaves a legacy of love, dedication, and inspiration, having lived his life passionately, courageously, and joyfully.
