William Edward “Bill” Smith died on November 22, 2022. Born January 10, 1930 on the family’s Lauderdale County farm, Bill would graduate from Coffee High School in 1948, where he excelled in athletics and was selected captain of the football, basketball, and baseball teams. In 2003, the Times Daily would name him to the All-Time Coffee High School Football Team.
Bill joined the Army achieving the rank of corporal. He graduated from Florence State College (University of North Alabama) where he played on the college’s first football team in 1949. He coached many youth sports in both Florence and Tuscumbia and would eventually earn a Masters degree in administration from Athens State University.
Upon graduation from Florence State, he became head basketball and baseball coach at Deshler High School from 1956 to 1969 where he taught physical education while coaching the junior varsity, “B” team, and varsity teams. Coach Smith’s varsity basketball winning teams were revered and respected statewide. His teams were innovative and noted for their teamwork, discipline, and full court pressure defense. His teams routinely scored 100 points per game.
The current Deshler Dome was his inspiration and built during his tenure as well as the school’s baseball field. Many of his former Deshler players remember him for the essential life skills he instilled in them including hard work, perseverance and to always do your best.
Prior to integration, Bill answered the phone call of another area coach, Harvest Mitchell, who was having trouble filling a schedule for his team. The coaches agreed to a game and in the fall of 1968, Deshler High School played Burrell-Slater High School in basketball marking the first time an all-white high school team played an all-black high school team in Northwest Alabama. A second game would be scheduled for the season and the two coaches would remain in touch for the remainder of their lives. These two men broke barriers. Coach Smith was inducted into the Colbert County Sports Hall of Fame in 2002.
Bill would work for the Florence City Schools as Attendance Supervisor from 1969 to 1994 as well as serving as Lauderdale County Chief Juvenile Probation Officer from 1969 to 1975.
When Bill first met Christine Waldrep, he told one of his friends, “that is the girl I am going to marry” and he would on June 21, 1958. Over the next sixty-four years, they would create their family, grow deep roots in the Shoals, and build a successful rental property business.
He is survived by his loving wife, Christine Waldrep Smith, and sons, Robert Floyd Smith (Michael W. Hasty), William Edward Smith, Jr. (Laura Webb Smith) and Allen Lee Smith (Heather Piper Smith) along with grandchildren, Connor Allen Smith, Piper Joy Smith, and Angel Joy Smith.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Katherine Edwards Smith and Robert Chapman Smith, and siblings, Edna Smith Cathey, Cornelia Smith Nix, Robert Lee Smith, twin brothers – Allen Thomas Smith and Alvin Henry Smith, and an infant granddaughter, Mary Katherine Smith.
A graveside service will be held at Florence City Cemetery on Friday, November 25, 2022 at 2 p.m. with Rev. Brandon Miles of First Presbyterian Church Florence and Bro. Chris Underwood officiating. Pallbearers will be his three sons and grandson.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Salvation Army, PO Box 728, Florence, AL 35631 or the Shoals Community Soup Kitchen at 256-764-2081.
Arrangements by Elkins Funeral Home.
