Guy Allen Smith, a senior engineer at TecMasters and UAH contractor with NASA, died on Sunday at 57 years old after a sudden stroke. He will be remembered as a quiet and generous genius that loved camping, tinkering with robots, and staring at the stars through his telescope. His family called him “Mad Scientist” and his co-workers nicknamed him “McGuyver.” He claimed Puyallup, WA as his hometown, but grew up traveling the country in a military family. As a boy, his first grade teacher believed he had a hard time reading and suggested he be held back in school. Specialized testing showed that he was simply bored in class and with the help of a middle school science teacher, Guy realized his life’s passion at a young age. Growing up, Guy built his first radio, computer, car, and even homemade fireworks that ended with bang and a small house fire. He painted murals of planets and stars on his bedroom walls and based his computer screens off the Star Trek graphics. Guy attended UAH, eventually working in their lab as a key designer and technician on many microgravity experiments operated on the Space Shuttle and the International Space Station (ISS). He flew on the KC-135, the “Vomit Comet.” Among the many accolades he won for his exceptional work was NASA’s Silver Snoopy Award given by the astronauts to individuals who have provided significant contributions to a mission’s success. Other projects include: Automatic Directional Solidification Furnace Pulling ZBLAN optical fiber Building payloads for suborbital launch rockets Particle and Engulfment and Pushing (PEP) Wetting Characteristics of Immisables (WCI) Solidification Using a Baffle in Sealed Ampoules (SUBSA) Pore Formation and Mobility (PFMI) UV decontamination system on the ISS Video Upgrade Equipment (VUE) for the MSG on the ISS He is survived by his wife, Anita Mobley-Smith, three daughters, Hannah, Heather and Hali, a father, Russell Smith, a brother, Clay Smith, and a sister, Sarah Skillen. Guy will be loved and remembered by many others. He leaves behind him a legacy of science and the donation of his organs. Guy’s contributions to the success of NASA’s Space Program will continue to inspire young engineers who come after him. The funeral will take place on Wednesday, Dec. 24 at Berryhill Funeral Home. Visitation begins at 3:30 p.m. and the service begins at 4:30 p.m
