Clyde B. Smith, 82
Clyde B. Smith, 82, passed away Wednesday, April 9, 2008, at Heritage Place in Kalispell. Clyde was born April 1, 1926, in Littlefork, Minn., to Carl and Anna Smith. He was raised in Littlefork, graduating from Littlefork High School in 1944.
He enlisted in the U.S. Navy, where he worked in aviation ordnance. He attended diesel school in Memphis, Tenn., from 1948 to 1949.
Clyde married Bonnie Briggs on Dec. 4, 1951; they had four children. He moved to Montana in 1953.
Clyde worked as a logger from 1948, founding the Smith Logging Company in 1964. He retired from logging in 1989.
Clyde was elected to the Montana House of Representatives in 1983, where he served until 1990. He served on several committees, including Natural Resources, Business and Labor, Highways, and the State Administration. He was appointed to the Governor?s Natural Resource?s Advisory Council in 1983, Governor?s Worker?s Compensation Advisory Council in 1986 and the Board of Directors, State Compensation Mutual Insurance Fund in 1988. He was the co-founder of the Montana Logging Association, 1976, served as president from 1980 until 1985, was named Logger of the Year in 1980, and was a current member of the executive committee.
He was also co-founder of ALERT Foundation, (Helicopter Rescue Program) in 1980, and chairman of the board 1982, 1985, 1986 and 1990. He was a member of the Montana Ambassadors, board of directors, State Chamber of Commerce. He was named as the family-owned business Advocate of the Year, U.S. Small Business Administration in 1981, won the Great Chief?s Award from the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce in 1983, and was given an honorary membership in the Society of American Foresters (the first and only logger to achieve such recognition) in 1983.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Bonnie; sisters, Francis Smith, Erma Baeth and Dorothy Swope; and one brother, Kenny Smith.
Clyde is survived by four children, Rick and Deb Smith, Barry and Cindy Smith, Wendy and Bill Oehmcke, and Pam and Sid Meskimen; brother, Earl, and Grace Smith; sister, Lucy Roth; 15 grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be from 3 to 8 p.m. Sunday, April 13, at Buffalo Hill Funeral Home. Interment will be at 2 p.m. Monday, April 14, at Glacier Memorial Gardens, with military honors being conducted by the United Veterans of the Flathead Valley. If available, a fly-by will be done by the ALERT flight crew.
A celebration of Clyde?s Life will be held at 3:30 p.m. Monday, April 14, at the Red Lion Inn in Kalispell. A reception will be after the service.
The family requests memorials in Clyde?s name be given to the ALERT Endowment in care of Northwest Healthcare Foundation in Kalispell, MT 59901.
Buffalo Hill Funeral Home is caring for the family.