Tom R. Smith, 74, of Chillicothe, OH, went to be with our Lord and Savior, at 9:02am, March 7, 2023, at Adena Regional Medical Center.
He was born March 19, 1948, in Cincinnati, OH, to the late C. Gibson and Alice H. (Beckelhimer) Smith. On March 21, 1971, he married his best friend, Pam, who survives.
Also surviving are their children: Tonya Smith, of Garland, TX, Brandon Smith, of Avella, PA, Carrie (Greg) Osborne, of Chillicothe, and Katie (Matthew) Wilson, Avella, PA; one brother John (Trish) Smith, of Des Moines, IA; several nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews, and a few great-great-nephews.
In addition to his parents, Tom was preceded in death by his brother, Larry Smith, of Bristol, TN.
Tom served as a Pastor for Grace Communion International for 40+ years. Even before Tom was called to pastoral ministry, he had always been one to offer a helping hand and do whatever was needed to gather people together. Tom and Pam met at Ambassador College in Big Sandy, TX in 1964. Their friendship provided a foundation of love, laughter and faith as they shared the next 52 years in marriage and building a family together. Though life together began in Texas, Tom’s willingness to serve where he was called led them to Montana for a few years and then to Southwestern Pennsylvania in 1988, where the Smith family made impactful connections throughout several communities for over three decades. Tom was best known for his passion to teach and engage children and youth about God and how to build positive relationships with Jesus and each other. Tom was also known for his kind heart, encouragement, and talent for telling corny jokes. A talent inherited by his children who proudly share with others.
Tom will be honored at a Celebration of Life service at 2:00pm on Sunday, March 19, 2023 at The Christian Church of North America, 605 Shirls Avenue, Washington, PA 15301. The family will receive friends and loved ones after the service until 5:00pm. Dress is casual.
We would love to have you share stories, memories, and dad jokes with us. You can bring them to share at the Celebration of Life or send them to us via email: [email protected].
In lieu of flowers, we are requesting donations to www.gci.org/donate/smith to honor and continue Tom’s generous impact on the youth of Grace Communion International.