William "Bill" Michael Smith Sr.

On March 5, 2026, Bill Smith, Sr. passed away after battling many health issues.

He is survived by his loving family: wife Dee; children Suzanne Opalecky, Cynthia and Gregg Partin, Christopher and Angelique Smith; daughter-in-law Debora Smith; son-in-law Scott Gill; 9 grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; sister Patty Crevda; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, John and Victoria Smith; brothers Robert Smith, Richard Smith, Leonard Smith, and Thomas Smith; sisters Fran Vilk, Gloria Katarsky, Dorothy Stermock, and Valeria Smith; also his son, William Smith, Jr., and daughter, Amanda Gill.

He worked as a foreman for Euclid-Hitachi, retiring after thirty-five years of service. After retirement, he went on to start several small businesses.

He grew up in a small coal mining town in Pennsylvania. His childhood in those days was so different compared to today's kids. From having horse-drawn wagons delivering ice to chewing fresh road tar because they couldn't afford gum, he would share a lot of weird jokes. But there was always a lot of laughter, love, and polkas.

He was from a time when things that broke were fixed or made into other useful items. They were called "make do." He could fix most anything in the house, tools, household items, or kids' toys. He was also very talented when it came to working with his hands, creating many leaded glass projects. His favorite was upright piano music boxes. He also loved working with wood and could often be found in the garage making wooden toys or crosses.

On the other hand, if he couldn't fix it, he also couldn't throw it away. He had many boxes of pieces and parts and electric cords that he saved because he knew he could use them "someday" on a new project.

He was from Pennsylvania and truly loved the Pittsburgh Steelers, and since many of his kids were Cleveland Browns fans, they spent many "game days" having the best times.

Cremation has taken place, and a private memorial will be scheduled.

He is and always will be greatly loved and missed.