David "Skeet" Smith
David “Skeet” Smith passed away on Saturday, November 30, 2013, after an illness of several months. He was born and raised in Pacolet Mills. He had a love and knowledge of the Pacolet area and was heavily involved in helping start the Pacolet Museum. Community service was a family tradition. His Dad, David Smith - Senior, was the first mayor of Pacolet Mills and held the office several years.
Skeet was a fine athlete. He played on the District 3 football team in his senior year. He was one of the featured performers with the Pacolet High School Acrobatic and Gymnastics Team and traveled all over the state giving performances with the Trampoline Team.
He and I were classmates in the PHS Class of 1955. He was a counselor at the YMCA Camp Skyuka before he joined the US Air Force in the fall of 1955.
He made the Air Force a career and retired after more than 20 years in service. In his early career, he was a boom operator for in-flight refueling operations. He had assignments all over the world. Later in his career he became a loadmaster on C-130 and huge C-5 cargo planes. He was a veteran of the Vietnam War and had numerous flight missions into forward combat areas.
After his retirement, he became part of the security service that guarded the missiles and nuclear warheads at the Navy Polaris Missile Facility in Goose Creek, SC. He loved to fly and also obtained his private pilot’s license and enjoyed flying small planes.
He is survived by his wife, Carolyn; his son, Steven; daughters Lynn and Molly; his Mom, Pearl; and several grandchildren and great grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held for him at his home in Goose Creek on Saturday, December 7. Full details can be read on the Funeral Home site at David Smith Services.
This web site has been started as a public service to share the story of Pacolet.
