Chaplain LTC Retired Gerald H. Smith's Obituary
Funeral services for Chaplain LTC Retired Gerald H. Smith, 74, of Leesville, Louisiana will be held at 3:00 p.m. Sunday, May 27, 2012, at First Baptist Church in Leesville, with Rev. Wallace Palmer, Rev. Larry White & Rev. Jeremy Blocker officiating. Burial will be held on Monday, May 28, 2012, at 3:00 p.m. at Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church in Bogue Chitto, MS, under the direction of Labby Memorial Funeral Home of Leesville.
Visitation will be held from 6 p.m. - 9 p.m., Saturday, May 26th, at Labby Memorial Funeral Home in Leesville.
Gerald, the son of Colton and Radie Mae Smith was born February 12, 1938, in Port Arthur, TX. He passed away Friday, May 25th, in Leesville, LA.
He served as pastor of many churches from 1959-1970 in Mississippi and Alabama. He joined the U.S. Army in 1970 where he was a Captain and served as a Chaplain at Fort Hood, TX, Fort Rucker, AL, Fishbach, Germany, Fort Wadsworth, NY, Korea, Viet Nam, Johnston Atoll, HI, and Fort Polk, LA. At Ft. Polk, he was the Main Post Chaplain from 1979-1981 and has served as Chaplain for many other battalions while stationed there and became the Division Staff Chaplain of the 5th Infantry Division in 1987-1989. He earned the Bronze Star in Vietnam. He retired from the U.S. Army in 1989. He re-entered the civilian workforce and served as pastor of the following churches from 1989-2012, Simpson Baptist Church, Korean Presbyterian Church, Living Word Korean Baptist Church, Glade Branch Baptist Church, Korean Full Gospel Church and Castor Baptist Church. He was currently serving as the interim pastor of St. Andrew Presbyterian Church in Leesville. He has also been a substitute teacher in the Vernon Parish School system and worked as a role player for Cubic Defense Applications. He also had radio ministry in Mississippi and Louisiana known as the Chaplains Forum and he was a network marketer for Amway, New Image, Melalueca, TTI, and Avon. His last mission was selling homemade country cane syrup.
He is preceded in death by his first wife, Ida Elaine Smith, parents, brothers and grandchild.
He is survived by wife of 15 years, Glenda Fay Smith of Leesville; sons, Danny Smith & wife, Missy of DeRidder and Dennis Smith of Leesville; daughters, Angie Magee & husband Paul of Leesville and Melody Aldredge of Natchitoches; step-sons, James Miller of Lumberton, TX, Timmy Miller & wife Darlene of Bogue Chitto, MS and Wendell Miller & wife, Amanda of Hernando, MS; step-daughters, Glenda “Tiny” Bales & husband, Kevin of Bogue Chitto, MS and Angie Rushing & husband, Buster of Mendenhall, MS; 21 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren.
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