Obituary of Elmer J. Smith

Elmer J. “Smitty” Smith, 92, of Carlisle, passed away on Saturday, October 14, 2023, at Country Meadows of West Shore. 

     He was born October 15, 1930, in Gainesville, NY to the late Floyd and Clella (Mix) Smith.  Elmer was the widower of Margaret (Zuckschwerdt) Smith who passed in November of 2009 after they enjoyed more than 50 years of marriage.    

     Smitty worked at a farm when he was young. It was during the depression and while he hated the work he always remembered they fed him well. He graduated from high school and worked for a year so he could afford college. He went to Heidelberg College in Ohio and right after graduation (1954) went to the Army (54-56). He wrote his own orders to be sent to Germany and that’s where he met Margaret. She worked at the officers club on the base. It took him a year to get her to the US. They were married 12/23/57 until she passed away in November of 2009.

     Margret, Smitty, Ellen and Mark lived in LeRoy NY. He left GM so they could raise their family in small town America. He was a Spanish teacher from 1962 to 1986, and worked at his friend Vic Blood’s Furniture store. Smitty and Margaret were very active in their church (United Methodist), The Vic Blood foundation (it established respite for elderly care and a day care), and a million other things. He was named LeRoyan of the Year in 2002.

     In 1971, He took a sabbatical in Spain. They lived in Madrid for a year. That is where Ellen met her husband, Jose Miguel. They still live in Madrid Spain. Mark moved to Texas years ago and comes to see his father every Thanksgiving.

     He loved to travel, music, art, anything Spanish, his friends and most of all his family.

     Elmer is survived by his daughter, Ellen (husband Jose Miguel) Ilundain of Spain; his son, Mark E. (wife Linda) Smith of Texas; two granddaughters, Margo C. (husband Patrick) Stanton and Amber Smith both of Carlisle; two grandsons, Alex (wife Fatima) Ilundain of Spain and Mitchell Smith of Texas; six great-grandchildren, James (wife Alex) Stanton of Fayetteville, Elysia Bibb of Carlisle, Cristina Stanton of Carlisle, Lana Stanton of Carlisle, Alex and Yago Ilundain both of Spain; one sister, Irene McGinnis of New York; and many, many nieces and nephews.  In addition to his parents and his wife, he was preceded in death by two siblings, Gertrude and Jerry.    

     A visitation will be held from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. on Friday, November 10, 2023, at Falcone Family Funeral and Cremation Service, 8700 Lake Road (State Rt. 19) LeRoy, NY 14482.  A graveside service with military honors will follow at 1:15 p.m. at Machpelah Cemetery. 

     In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in memory of Smitty to the Alzheimer’s Association, 225 N. Michigan Ave., Fl. 17, Chicago, IL 60601.