Johnsonville, SC
Mr. Ian L. Smith, 81, passed away as his train departed on August 13, 2017, with his family and friends by his side. His last stop in his journey home was at Carolinas Hospital System where he was hospitalized after an ongoing illness.
Mr. Ian was born in London, England on June 4, 1936, the son of the late George H. and Daisy Humphries Smith. He grew up on a farm in Folkstone, Kent. He attended public school and went to Polytecnical College in London, England where he graduated with a specialized degree in plastics He began working for Yarsley in London where he met his future wife, Ruth. They were subsequently married on July 2, 1960. After working for several different companies, he went to work for Wellman Industries as a technical supervisor in the engineering resins division of the plastics department in 1967, when he ended up moving his family to Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland. Then in April of 1974, at the age of 37, he moved his family to America and moved into his current home in Johnsonville, SC where he continued to work for Wellman until he retired in 1998 at the age of 62.
Thru the years, he enjoyed and became involved with the local athletics as their official high school football cameramen. He helped his wife manage and run the local swimming pool for many years. He was also very active in the Lions Club. Despite staying busy with his work which would often take him out of town on business, his social commitments as mentioned above, and raising 3 children; he enjoyed building and flying model (RC) airplanes. After he finally retired he was finally able to accomplish and enjoy his last dream of building a garden railroad which has since been the joy of the grandchildren.
Surviving are his loving wife of 57 years, Ruth E. Jenner Smith; children, Adrian (Candy) Smith, Diane (Jacob) Williams, and Julian (Donna) Smith, PA; younger brother, Brian Smith of Eltham, England; younger sister, Marion Smith Harper of Brisbane, Australia; 8 grandchildren, 3 step-grandchildren and 2 step-great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 AM Friday, August 18, 2017 in the Cornerstone Church of God, directed by Morris Funeral Home of Hemingway, SC
The family will receive friends from 5:00 PM until 7:00 PM Thursday, August 17, 2017 in the Morris Funeral Home Chapel, 416 N. Main St., Hemingway, SC 29554.
Please sign the guestbook at www.morris-funeralhome.com
Memorials amy be made to the Johnsonville Rescue Squad, PO Box 1021, Johnsonville, SC 29555, Cornerstone Church of God, PO Box 893, Hemingway, SC 29554, Regency Hospice, 960 Pamplico Hwy., Suite K, Florence, SC 29505, or the Storm Eye Institute, 167 Ashley Ave., Charleston, SC 29425.