Dr. James Sidney Smith (Sid, Papa Sid, Pop), 89, left his earthly body on March 20, 2022, and is now in the loving arms of the Lord.
He is survived by his wife of 30+ years, Patricia Crosby Smith; four wonderful children, Jim Smith (Barbara) of Nashville, Tennessee, Linda Holmberg (Danny) of Montgomery, Alabama, Kenny Smith (Debbie) of Marietta, Georgia, and Mary Kay Smith of Alabaster, Alabama; two loving stepchildren, Michael Noble (Elizabeth) of Nashville, Tennessee and Anne Harbarger (Mark) of Huntsville, Alabama; 12 grandchildren, two great-grandchildren; and one nephew, Steve Smith of Florida. He also leaves behind countless friends and colleagues around the world. He was predeceased by his parents Claude Carlisle and Mildred Williams Smith and his brother, Claude Smith.
Sid’s first love was Jesus and he loved to share his faith with others. He was a longtime member of Mayfair Church of Christ and went on countless medical missions around the globe including Nicaragua, Honduras, Belize, Fijii, Macau, Namibia and South Africa but his 15 years of work in Baja, Mexico was particularly close to his heart. He was an active member of the Mayfair Church of Christ for over 30 years and worked with Mayfair’s Inner City Church for 15 of those years. He stayed in close contact with his brothers and sisters there until his passing. He, along with his dear friend of over 50 years, Clyde Jones, was instrumental in the genesis of His Way, an addiction recovery program for men in Huntsville.
Sid was born in Greenwood, Mississippi and attended the University of Tennessee for his undergraduate and graduate degree in dentistry. After serving four years in the US Navy, he returned to the University of Tennessee for a degree in Orthodontics. He practiced orthodontics in Huntsville for 35 years. He delighted in seeing patients around town with straight teeth!
He loved his family well and found the greatest joys in spending time with them, especially his grandchildren: at Lake Guntersville or the Destin beach, coaching and attending their sports games, and eventually traveling the world with Patty. He bled orange and white and had season tickets to games at Neyland Stadium for over 50 years. He rarely missed a Vols football or basketball game. Sid never met a crossword or sudoku puzzle he couldn’t solve, a tune he couldn’t whistle or a joke he didn’t want to tell. He will be greatly missed by his family and all the friends he had all over the world.
Visitation will be from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Thursday, March 24 at Mayfair Church of Christ. The funeral will follow at the church with Joe Essner and Lee Milam officiating. Burial will be in Maple Hill Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to Camp Baja (Baja Missions), 337 Lake Valley Dr., Franklin, TN 37069.
