April 2016
Dan C. Smith’s job as a general contractor took him and his family all over the United States. Retirement just meant that he and his wife, Virginia, could travel to even more places by motorhome.
“They’d leave (Arizona) every April and come back in October,” said Tracy Blaisdell, one of Dan’s two daughters. “He loved it.”
Dan Smith, L71987, who served as FMCA national vice president, Rocky Mountain Area, from 1989-1992, was 92 when he died January 7, 2016, in Mesa, Arizona. Virginia died in 2012.
Dan was friends with Virginia’s first husband, and Virginia was friends with Dan’s first wife. After the deaths of their spouses, Dan and Virginia would get together and enjoy each other’s company. They married in 1982.
Soon after, Dan, who loved to fish, bought a boat. Family members accompanied them to a lake, where Virginia made it known that she didn’t enjoy camping, and she wanted him to get rid of the boat. Instead, Tracy said, “They bought their first motorhome to pull that boat.”
It was the start of an exciting new chapter in their lives.
“He was a lot of fun, and he loved people,” Tracy said. “I think that’s why he loved motorhoming. They were always meeting people, and he loved to make people smile.”
After meeting members of FMCA, the Smiths joined the organization. “He loved FMCA. He was very proud of having been an officer,” Tracy said.
“Great guy,” said Fred Kaminski, who was national vice president, Midwest Area, from 1987-1991. “It was pleasant to be around him. He was always positive about FMCA.”
During his stint as a national vice president, Dan served on the Membership/Member Services Committee. He also served on the FMCA Review Council from 1993 to 1998, including a term as chairman from 1993 to 1994.
The numerous friends that the Smiths made through FMCA included many who wintered in Arizona. The Smith home was where they all came for Thanksgiving and Christmas. “There was always a house full of FMCA people there,” Tracy said.
Dan was born October 27, 1923, in Cedar Creek, Texas. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and was assigned to the Pacific Fleet. After the war, he joined the Army Reserves. He earned a civil engineering degree from the University of Texas.
“When he was young, he wanted to be a rodeo cowboy,” Tracy said. “He wound up being a general contractor.”
For a time, he worked for a concrete company constructing the underground portion of the Gateway Arch in St. Louis. He then worked for Ramada, building hotels across the country. His job required the family to relocate many times. Dan eventually started his own contracting company.
Being motorhome owners allowed the Smiths to stay on the move in retirement. They visited every state but Hawaii. Dan would have traveled there, “but nobody would build him a bridge,” Tracy said. “He loved telling people that.”
In addition to daughter Tracy Blaisdell, Dan is survived by another daughter, Christy Matlach; five grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.