Mr. Clifford Meritt Smith, of Canton, GA, passed away quietly on Nov. 9, 2012, at the age of 83.
Clifford was born in Vienna, GA, to Meritt Lander and Dialyer Riddle Smith and raised in Newnan, GA. Clifford graduated from Berry College and then served in the Korean War as a reconnaissance photographer. He went on to receive his master’s degree in physics at Texas A&M.
Clifford was married to Carolyn Thompson Smith and has two children, Teresa and Cliff Jr. He also lived in Stuttgart, Germany, for many years and taught middle school math for the Department of Defense. When he returned to the United States he was a math professor at several local colleges. Upon hearing of his passing, one of his students said, “He was a great math teacher who taught outside the box and worked with me before and after school as much as it took for me to get it.”
He loved teaching and felt strongly that he was to lead by example with a good attitude. Alcoholics Anonymous taught him to “give it all to God,” as he said frequently. His AA family, Emeritus Assisted Living family, and Canton UMC family have meant so much to him over the years. He loved you all. He mostly enjoyed fishing, teaching, international travel, living life the AA way, and loving others.
He is survived by his eldest brother, Leavelle Smith and his wife Betty Smith from Newnan, GA; his daughter, Teresa Smith Puckett, her husband Harvey Puckett; grandchildren, Alexia and Trevor, from Colombia, SC; his son, Clifford M. Smith Jr. and his wife Terri Smith; grandchildren, Jennifer Smith Marshie, Forrest Smith, and Graham Smith, from Canton, GA.
We thank God for Cliff, a loving brother, father, grandfather, uncle, and friend. May he rest in peace and may we look forward to the day we are all reunited in heaven. John 14:1-2, 12.
