William Arthur Smith

William (Bill) Arthur Smith Sr., born Sunday, January 5, 1930, in Jacobs Creek, PA passed away peacefully at his home in Albuquerque, NM on Friday, June 16, 2023. He is survived by his wife of 72 years, Ruth Ann Smith; his daughter Kathleen Lee Klein; son William Arthur Smith Jr. and his wife Ellen Smith; grandson Michael Wayne Richards and his wife Monica Anne Richards; granddaughter Chelsea Kaye Garcia and her husband Leonard Garcia; grandson Taylor Lee Smith; granddaughter Susan Ly Hewatt; great-granddaughter Gracie Ly Chadwick; and niece Cheryl Ann Yash and husband Richard Yash. Bill served his country proudly in the United States Air Force for 22 distinguished years. He retired as a Senior Master Sergeant. One of the finest moments of his career was when he ran the Air Force Eastern Test Range unit that flew the Boeing EC-135E ARIA (Snoopy Nose). This aircraft housed the radar unit that tracked the Apollo missions that put a man on the moon. Bill was an avid golfer who enjoyed spending his time out on the course. He enjoyed training in martial arts and earned a black belt in Tae Kwon Do. His family was especially important to Bill. He loved spending as much time as he could with them. A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, July 22, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. at Vertical Church Albuquerque, 4801 Montano Rd. NW, Suite A10, Albuquerque, NM 87120. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Cancer Society in honor of Bill.