- Date Of Birth: March 1, 1932
- Date Of Death: March 25, 2016
- State: Florida
Nelson Eugene Smith, passed away in Tallahassee, Florida on March 25, 2016. He was born on March 1, 1932, in Carrabelle, Florida to William and Leona Lovett Smith who preceded him in death.
Because Nelson lost both parents during his early childhood, Uncle Gaither LeRoy Smith and Lida Bell Mathis Smith took him into their home where they raised him with their own children. Also preceding him in death is his wife, Peggy Hewitt Smith; parents, Gaither and Lida Smith; and two brothers, George Edward Smith and Howard Curry, Sr. Nelson is survived by his two daughters, Debra Smith (Scott) Robertson of Leicester, NC and Jeanette Smith Boutwell of Asheville, NC; three grandchildren, Jennifer Scott Tarske; Kathleen “Suzie” Boutwell George; and Daniel Edward Scott. He also has three great-grandchildren, Brandon George, Thadeus Scott, and Tristan Scott. There are also so many nephews and nieces, whom he dearly loved.
As a young man, Nelson attended Lively Vocational Technical School, providing him with the proficiency skills as a master electrician, machinist, and HVAC expert. While Nelson worked at the Crate Mill, he served in the Army National Guard from 1948 to 1956. In the 1960s, he worked under a NASA grant for Florida State University (FSU) where he invented the dirt sampler. These jobs eventually gave way to his years of working with Olin in St. Marks and the Florida Department of Transportation where he retired in the 1990s. Nelson loved caring for the maintenance needs of the church and affectionately acquired the name of “Candy Man” and “Tootsie Roll Man” as he always had a pocket of small tootsie rolls to pass out to all of the children.
He enjoyed socializing during church dinners, helping with holiday plays, and serving the Lord in any way that he could. Nelson served as a Sunday school teacher as a young man and could easily quote scriptures from memory. One of his greatest joys was teaching his daughters and grandchildren how to hunt and fish. In fact, he always recruited children in the church to enroll in the hunter’s education course as a way to teach them hunting and survival skills.
About a month prior to his passing, Nelson received a dream from the Lord in which he was shown all of heaven. It was such a beautiful sight. We know that the Lord was preparing him for his inevitable journey into our loving Father’s arms. So, family and friends can take peace from knowing our father and grandfather was ready to leap into the arms of our Lord Jesus. We would like to give thanks to Kathleen “Suzie” and her husband, David George, for taking such loving care of our father and grandfather following Peggy’s death in 2009. Peepaw always jokingly said that he “had to do what the boss said.” Daddy, Peepaw, Granddaddy, this is only until we see you again in heaven.
