Donald Dean Smith

SMITH, Donald Dean
Of Mattawan Don was born February 17, 1945, in Angola, Indiana and passed away February 12, 2012 in Kalamazoo. The son of Norman and Clara Carrick Smith was raised in Hillsdale, MI, then coming to Kalamazoo to attend WMU, and then began working as an ambulance attendant and eventually with Langeland Funeral Home. From 1967-68, during the Vietnam War, Don served as a Hospital Corpsman for the U.S. Navy, with the U.S.M.C. and U.S. Naval Hospitals in California. Upon returning to Kalamazoo, Don continued his employment as a funeral director with Langeland Family Funeral Homes for over 45 years. Don was a member of the Vicksburg Lions Club and the Kalamazoo Downtown Lions Club where he had served as President. From 1984-85, he served as State of Michigan Lions District Governor. He is currently a member of Southridge Reformed Church and a former member of Bethany Reformed Church where he had served several terms as a Deacon, was a praise song leader and sang in the chancel choir for many years. He also was a cast member of the Vicksburg Rotary Showboat for several years. Don especially enjoyed fishing, umpiring girls' softball, raising horses and an occasional joke or prank. On October 29, 1983, he was united in marriage to Marsha Klimp Moore, who survives. Also surviving are his daughters, Lynette Carl Brian Price of Middlebury, IN, Nicole Gary Rickstad of Kalamazoo, Jennifer David Hilger of Westerville, OH, and Christy Adam Greenman of Mt. Pleasant, SC; grandchildren, Joshua and Jordan Carl, Cody Wilkins, Brooke and Tyler Greenman, Benjamin, Alex and Carleigh Hilger, Chloe and Collin Rickstad ; his mother, Clara Smith-Borntrager of Hillsdale; his sisters, Penny Rick Mahoney of Bird Lake, and Cheryl Warren of Hillsdale; nieces and nephews; and many special friends. Don was preceded in death by his father, Norman Smith and step-father, Rudy Borntrager. The family will receive friends on Thursday, February 16th from 2-4 and 6-8 PM at the Langeland Family Funeral Homes, Westside Chapel, 3926 South 9th Street. A service to celebrate Don's life will be held on his 67th Birthday, at 11:00 AM Friday, February 17th at Southridge Reformed Church 6726 Texas Drive with Pastors Mark Vanderson and James Dyke officiating. A private family interment with full military honors will be held in Ft. Custer National Cemetery. Memorials in Don's memory may be directed to Kalamazoo Downtown or Vicksburg Lions Club, Bethany Reformed Church, or Vicksburg Rotary Showboat.