Thomas John Smith, age 84, died December 7, 2014. Born in Cleveland, Ohio on May 7, 1930, Tom was the oldest of the three children of Florence (Crane) Smith and Thomas Jack Smith. He graduated from Shaw High School in 1949, and from Ohio University in 1953. He married Kathryn “Casey” Gibson in 1951 and began a 20-year military career, retiring in Colorado Springs with the rank of Lt. Colonel from the Air Force in 1974. He then obtained a Master’s degree in counseling from the University of Northern Colorado and began a career in social services serving as director for local agencies working with troubled youth and victims and perpetrators of domestic violence. Later he worked with military families as a Civil Service employee in Social Work Services at Fort Carson. He was active with the William Glasser Institute serving on regional and national advisory boards and lecturing and coaching around the world in the techniques of Reality Therapy. He married Sharon Roggy in 1988 in Colorado Springs.
Tom was an avid racquet sports enthusiast enjoying tennis, table tennis and squash. He also loved skiing and was a fan of college and professional football. He lived a full life, the impact of which will long be remembered by his family, friends, colleagues and community.
He is survived by his loving wife, Sharon; his children: Mark Smith, Mike Smith, Rick Smith and Russell Smith; and step-children: Paul Stickney and Stephanie Stickney; his brother, Richard; his grandchildren: Jamaica Worek, Jauna Smith, Brian Smith, Shannon Niko, Christie Smith, Laura Smith, Trenton Smith and Arthur McEvoy; and his great-grandchildren: Trevor Harrison, Keith Smith, Kaliya Briseno, Shaya Surita, Makai Niko and Cayden Smith. He was preceded in death by his sister, Joyce Korver; and his great-grandson, Blake Smith.
A memorial celebration of Tom’s life will be held on Saturday, December 27, 2014 at 11:00 a.m. at Shrine of Remembrance “America the Beautiful” Chapel, 1730 E. Fountain Blvd. Memorial contributions, in lieu of flowers, may be made to Wounded Warrior Project, www.woundedwarriorproject.org/donate or the Pikes Peak Hospice Foundation, 2550 Tenderfoot Hill St., Colorado Springs, CO 80906.