Glenn Smith

Glenn Aaron Smith, age 90, of Broomfield, Colorado, went home to be with his Savior on February 19, 2023. Glenn was born on May 21, 1932, in Delaware, Oklahoma, the third of five children, to Louis C. and Pearl (Wassum) Smith. In 1950 he graduated from Delaware High School where he had also met the love of his life, Phyllis Ray. They were married on September 3, 1952.

Glenn was enrolled at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma at the time of their wedding. However, he was drafted into the U.S. Army in early 1953. Six days before he was to be sent to Korea, their first child, Vicki, was born so he was able to see her before shipping out. The armistice was signed while Glenn was making his sea-sick way to Korea but he still spent a year serving in Korea and other areas in the Pacific. After Glenn returned home, he finished his service time at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri and then completed his studies in agricultural education at OSU. Two sons, Crae and Carroll, were born during that time. Upon Glenn’s graduation, the family moved to Brainerd, Minnesota, for the promise of a job there. During the 11 years they lived in Brainerd, Glenn worked first as Assistant County Agricultural Agent and was then promoted to County Agricultural Agent for Crow Wing County. Three more children, Glenna, Rodney and Connie, were born in Brainerd. Glenn served in several positions in their church, Temple Baptist Church, including teaching a high school Sunday School class, Sunday School Superintendent, Youth Department Leader, Deacon, and Chairman of the Church.

In 1967, Glenn took a job in Iowa as District Sales Manager for Funks Brothers Seed Company and the family moved to Chariton, Iowa. Family and faith were extremely important to Glenn so he attended many school and church activities as the children were growing. At First Baptist Church in Chariton, he taught an adult Sunday School class and served as a trustee. He also took on the daunting task of teaching English to Vietnamese immigrants who had moved to that area of Iowa.

A new job, District Sales Manager for Migro Seed Company,  took Glenn to Rock Falls, Illinois, in 1980. Phyllis followed after their house in Chariton was sold. They lived in Rock Falls and Sterling, Illinois, for 3½ years. Glenn again taught an adult Sunday School class and led Sunday morning worship services when the pastor was gone at Sterling Baptist Church.

Their next move was to Denver, Colorado where both Glenn and Phyllis worked in apartment and condominium management for 15 years. Three of their children had also moved to Colorado and started families there, so Colorado become the new “home” for the entire Smith clan. Many memorable vacations and family reunions were spent enjoying the mountains of Colorado. Glenn and Phyllis also invested in a couple of rental properties of their own and when they retired from on-site apartment management in 1996, they moved into one of their properties in Northglenn.  Glenn remodeled that house from top to bottom in his early retirement years. Always being a farm boy at heart, he turned most of the back yard into a beautiful flower and vegetable garden. He loved to show it off. Glenn had planted a garden at every house in which they lived and he liked to plant trees at each home, especially apple trees.

In every community in which they had lived, Glenn was active in his local church. Moving to many different apartment buildings all over the Denver area during their management careers made it difficult to settle in with one church. But as they approached retirement, they joined First Southern Baptist Church of Northglenn. Glenn once again taught an adult Sunday School class and served as the church janitor. In 2010, Glenn and Phyllis joined Village Church of Thornton, Colorado.

A stroke following knee surgery in 1998 changed Glenn’s life drastically. He lost his half of his eyesight and some abilities to do tasks he had done so competently before the stroke. Even his beloved garden shrank as his eyesight deteriorated more and he could no longer see and identify each plant. The encroaching loss of his eyesight also took away his ability to read his Bible which was a difficult loss for a dedicated Bible teacher. But he never lost his wonderful sense of humor and his love for his beloved wife, children and his Savior.

In August 2022, his family gathered together in Colorado to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Glenn and Phyllis’ marriage.

Glenn was preceded in death by his parents, Louis and Pearl Smith, brothers Willis and Dwight, and sister Bonnie. He is survived by his wife of 70 years, Phyllis, and children, Vicki (Allan) Olson of Chanhassen, MN, Crae (Tina) Smith of Ottumwa, IA, Carroll (Candy) Smith of Thornton, CO, Glenna (Jack) McVey of Chariton, IA, Rod (Mary) Smith of Billings, MT, and Connie Mastin of Denver, CO, his younger sister, Joan Snow of Bartlesville, OK, 10 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren. He is dearly loved and missed by his family and many friends, but this humble man of God has now been welcomed into his well-earned rest. “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Visiting hours for family and friends are from 5:00pm until 7:00pm on Tuesday, March 7, 2023 at Horan & McConaty, 9998 Grant Street, Thornton CO 80229.

Burial with military honors will be at Mount Washington Cemetery in Lenapah, Oklahoma, on March 11.

A memorial service will be held on March 25 at Village Church in Thornton, Colorado.