William Smith

William B. Smith

(aka: Smitty or Brent)

1941 - 2025

William B. Smith - known to most as Smitty or Brent and to us simply as Dad - passed away peacefully on June 29, 2025, at the age of 84.

Brent was a man built from old-school grit. He worked for the railroad for 39 years and he loved his job. He was always fixing something, building something, or growing something. He was the definition of hard-working and took great care of his family - plus a few pet rabbits.

Brent was a man who adored animals, loved his garden, and had a deep soft spot for anything with feathers or fur. Over the years, he raised pigeons, ducks, geese, chickens (hatched in the basement, naturally), a horse, and even a bottle-fed baby calf. And Shadow - his dog and best buddy - was the last in a long line of four-legged friends. After Shadow passed, Dad swore he'd never get another because he'd already had the best.

He was a guy of simple pleasures: fresh tomatoes, drive-in movies and any excuse to take the kids camping or out on the boat. He also loved to dance. He and my mom were great dance partners.

He was always in a white T-shirt (clean or not), had a sarcastic sense of humor and absolutely could not tell a joke to save his life. But he made us laugh anyway - sometimes intentionally.

Brent is survived by "The Smith Kids": Steve (Peg), Kathy (Kevin), Lisa, and Michelle (Chuck); 8 grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren, and 3 great-great-grandchildren. His best friend was his brother Steve. His legacy lives on in all of us - in our stories, our stubborn streaks, our gardens, and probably in some questionable handyman skills.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Thursday, July 3rd, from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at The Gathering Hall (next to McDougal Funeral Home), 4306 Redwood Road, Taylorsville, UT.