William C. “Bill” Smith was born September 3, 1934 in Kent, Oregon at the home of his parents Ern and Nell Smith. He was the youngest of three siblings. His sisters were Virginia Cox and Joyce Short. He attended grade school in Kent, Oregon and graduated from Sherman Union High School. Bill worked for Mid-Columbia Producers supervising their grain elevators in the counties of Gilliam, Sherman and Wasco for 37 years. He also served on the Kent School District Board and Kent Water District Board.

Bill married Mary Elaine Wendt “Elaine” on March 1, 1958. They had six children; Kathryn Mary; Sharon Lynn; Patricia Ann; William Clyde JR; Ernest Carl and Jennifer Sue; twelve grandchildren and fourteen great grandchildren. Bill and Elaine made their home in a house they bought in Kent. Bill was an excellent carpenter and remodeled their original home to accommodate their growing family. His carpentry skills were valued by friends and neighbors.

Bill was an avid outdoorsman, rafting down the John Day River yearly with a group of buddies. He was also a hunter and fisherman and passed down his passion for the outdoors to his children. Vacations were camping trips with at least six kids and two adults piled into a 1940’s Toyota Landcruiser, heading into rough country to find the perfect spot. Bill was a tinkerer and created the many time saving devices for the trips, including the solar ‘oven’. Trips were always opportunities to learn more about the land he grew up in. There was also bike rides with Bill and Elaine on ‘pack mules’ and all of the kids on bicycles traveling down back roads.

Bill enjoyed his children. When he came home from work he would play with all of his kids in the living room, letting them pile on his legs and back while they tried to keep him from doing push-ups. It was great fun and everyone ended up laughing. Bill took up drawing and everyone in his family enjoyed getting birthday cards with his drawings in them. They were always personal and quite often humorous. In the last decade of his life, he and his wife moved to The Dalles to be closer to physicians. Bill continued drawing and enjoyed visits from his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.


Arrangements are under the direction of Anderson's Tribute Center • Celilo Chapel 204 E. 4th Street, The Dalles, Oregon 97058. Visit www.AndersonsTributeCenter.com to leave a note of condolence for the family.