Elmer David Smith Jr., aged 77, absent from the body and present with the Lord, passed away Monday, September 8, at his home in Oak Ridge.

He was born June 6, 1937, in Lee County, Virginia, to Elmer and Arminda Smith.

He graduated from Berea College in 1960, where he met his wife Edna Welte Smith. They were married August 6, 1961, at Danforth Chapel in Berea, Kentucky. He went on to earn a Master of Arts in Education from Eastern Kentucky State College in 1963.

Mr. Smith was a sergeant in the Army for two years during the Cold War training new recruits. He was a much-loved teacher in the Oak Ridge School system for over 30 years, teaching primarily fifth-grade students. In the 1970s, Mr. and Mrs. Smith started the Jack and Jill Childcare Center in Oak Ridge and operated it for nine years. [Read more…]