Dwight Smith

 

Dwight Howard Smith “Smitty”, 78, died Thursday, May 12th in Duluth, Minnesota after a short illness. He was born August 14, 1943, in Duluth, Minnesota, the youngest of seven children born to Earl and Myrtle Smith.

Smitty grew up and raised his family in Grand Marais, Minnesota. After retiring, he and his beloved wife, Sheryl, spent several years exploring all corners of the southern United States, eventually settling in Palm Coast, Florida. They recently returned to Duluth to be closer to family.

Dad was always a hard worker. After his father died, he financially supported his mother while going to high school and playing basketball. He spent 30 years working at Taconite Harbor during the day and pounding nails on nights and weekends. He loved hunting, fishing, and snowmobiling and was always up for a good time and a Windsor Diet Coke. Smitty was fortunate to have many lifelong friends. He would do anything for anyone.

A member of the Minnesota Army National Guard at Fort Ripley, Smitty proudly served his country for six years from 1965 to 1971.

He was the best girl-dad teaching his daughters how to drive a stick shift, set a fishhook, change a spark plug and hang sheetrock. We were well versed in pounding nails, the finer art of a good bowl of popcorn, and techniques in splitting and stacking firewood, in which he was usually able to rope our friends into helping with. He was the king of the one-liner and could often be heard telling someone “He was finer than frog hair” or “you are busier than a one-armed paper hanger” and there was always a song to be sung.

Smitty will be greatly missed by his wife, Sheryl, daughters Kim Bristol (Corey), Kristen Smith (Rick), Kate Carlson (Bruce), Heather Janeczko, stepdaughters Lori Yecoshenko (Jason) and Kari Backstrom (Randy). He was so loved by his grandchildren Jordan, Haley, Logan and Sommer Bristol, Kyler and Kamryn Johnson, Rayna Corning, Leah and Nels Carlson, Ben Janeczko, Fayth, Kristianna and Brock Yecoshenko and Breanna and Austin Backstrom. He is also survived by his brother, Larry Smith (Janice), many nieces, nephews, and lifelong special friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents, brothers Gerald, Garth, Ronald and Dean, sister Melva and step son-in-law Brian Backstrom.

Funeral services will be held on Friday, May 20th at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Grand Marais, Minnesota. Visitation begins at 11:00 a.m. with services beginning at noon. A reception will follow at Birch Terrace Supper Club.