Obituary of James Thomas Smith

LEXINGTON—Funeral services for James Thomas Smith, 95, of Lexington, will be held at 11:00 a.m. Monday, June 30, 2014 at Thompson Funeral Home, Lexington Chapel, 4720 Augusta Road, Lexington, SC 29073. Reverend Steve Allen will officiate. Burial with full military honors will follow in Southland Memorial Gardens. The family will greet friends from 10-11:00 a.m. prior to the service at the funeral home. Mr. Smith passed away on Friday, June 27, 2014. Born in Columbia, he was a son of the late J.T. Smith and Sally Ophelia Taylor Smith. He was a devoted family man who loved his wife, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. James was a member of the first graduating class of Brookland-Cayce High School in 1936. He was a member of Northside Baptist Church, and a man of strong Christian faith who loved his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He proudly served his country in the US Army, First Infantry Division, during WWII, where he fought in the Battle of the Bulge. He participated in campaigns in Algeria, Tunisia, Sicily, Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes and Central Europe. After the Army he attended the University of South Carolina. He later joined the US Air Force, where he served for 24 years until his retirement as a Chief Master Sergeant in 1969. Surviving are his daughter, Dianne Berry of Lexington; sons, Randy Spires (Kathy) of Lexington, Dean Spires (Nancy) of Cayce and Art Spires (Tracy) of Lexington; six grandchildren, four great-grandchildren and other loving extended family members. Mr. Smith was preceded in death by his wives, Margaret Frances Babb Smith and Jeannette Lucas Spires Smith; two sisters, Mamie S. Dew and Dorothy S. Spratlin; two brothers, Johnny and Oscar Smith. Special thanks to Mickey McNair for his service as caregiver and Dr. Rachelle Gajadhar and the staff of Senior Primary Care. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Northside Baptist Church, Church Missions Fund, 4347 Sunset Blvd. Lexington, South Carolina, 29072.