James “Jim” Clarence Smith, Jr. ’61

James “Jim” Clarence Smith, Jr. ’61, 70, died May 8 at the Montgomery Regional Hospital in Blacksburg, Va. A lover of life from the start, Smith was born on Aug. 16, 1939, in Martinsville, Va., to James Clarence Smith, Sr. and Florence Hunt “Yonnie” Pannill Smith. It was during his youth in Martinsville where he met the love of his life and wife of 47 years, Linda Flora Smith. Smith earned his undergraduate degree at Davidson, his master’s degree at William and Mary, and his Ph.D. at Duke University. On June 23, 1962, he married Linda Sue Flora, his high school sweetheart. During the next five years, he and Linda had their two daughters. His professional career was diverse and included working with NASA in Newport News, Va., over 30 years with Virginia Tech as a math professor, co-authoring a calculus textbook, and building and managing two athletic clubs located in Martinsville, Va., and Myrtle Beach, S.C. In addition to his career and accomplishments, Smith was known for his love of life and sense of humor. He loved his family, his friends, golf, Elvis, sausage biscuits, running on the beach, light beer, parties, coupons, and adventures of all kinds. He never lost his sense of wonder with the world or the desire to learn and create. He was a member of many boards and organizations and was very quietly philanthropic. He made numerous donations in the form of educational scholarships and gifts to meet the individual needs of others. He is survived by his wife, Linda Flora Smith, 511 Wood Haven Ct., Blacksburg, VA 24060; daughters, Mary Hunter Goss (Robert A. Goss) and Stacy Pannill Rice ’90; and grandson, Robert Hayden Goss.