Obituaries » Francis Allen Smith

Francis Allen Smith

January 22, 1924 - September 24, 2022

Sergeant Major Francis A. Smith 98, of Bedford, passed away on Saturday, September 24, 2022, at Cardinal Senior living in Bedford. He was born on January 22, 1924, in Bedford Co., VA. He was the son of the late Allen Ramsey Smith and Cora Parks Smith. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his loving wife, Dorothy Eva Case-Smith.

SGM Smith enlisted in the United States Army Air Corp in 1942. He retired with 30+ years’ service to his country in 1975. During his career he served 3 tours of Vietnam, tours in Germany, Korea and Okinawa. SGM Smith received numerous awards including the National Defense Service medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster, Bronze Star medal with two OLC, Army Commendation medal with one OLC, Air medal with eight OLC, Good Conduct medal with seven awards.  Upon retiring from active duty, he immediately started a second career with Civil Service until retiring again in1989.

For those wishing to make memorial contributions in Smitty’s memory please consider:  Bedford Centra Hospice, Bedford Lions Club or Bedford Baptist Church. The family would like to extend heartfelt thanks to the staff of Cardinal Senior Living and Bedford Centra Hospice, especially his nurse Stephanie for the love and care given during this most difficult of times. We greatly appreciate each of you.

A funeral service and celebration of his life will be held at Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors. A visitation will be conducted from 6:00 until 8:00 pm on Friday, September 30, 2022, at Tharp Funeral Home & Crematory, Bedford. To send condolences online please visit tharpfuneralhome.com. Tharp Funeral Home & Crematory, Bedford is assisting the family.

 

Condolences & Tributes

Celebrate Francis's life with a short message, photo or video!

Our grandfather will be truly missed. We are heartbroken. We will miss the ice cream dates, helping in the garden and the family dinners. He was accomplished and an example to our youth today. We love you so much! This isn’t the end as we will be seeing you and Nana again. All our love, Ashley, Garrett, Nicole and Natalie

Posted by Ashley MacDonald on September 27, 2022

Posted by Ashley MacDonald on September 27, 2022

We have no words of our own to express this loss of a dearest friend, but will borrow these quotes so fitting: \"People touch our lives if only for a moment, And yet we\'re not the same from that moment on, The time is not important, The moment is forever.\" Fern Bork and, \"Say not in grief \'he is no more\' but live in thankfulness that he was.\" Hebrew proverb Please share in our memories about the wonderful man Smitty was to the end.

Posted by Linda & Bob Chadziewicz on September 26, 2022

We have no words of our own to express this loss of a dearest friend, but will borrow these quotes so fitting: "People touch our lives if only for a moment, And yet we're not the same from that moment on, The time is not important, The moment is forever." Fern Bork and, "Say not in grief 'he is no more' but live in thankfulness that he was." Hebrew proverb Please share in our memories about the wonderful man Smitty was to the end.

Posted by Linda & Bob Chadziewicz on September 26, 2022

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