Marion Lee Smith

Marion Lee Smith, age 95, passed away peacefully at his home in Atlanta on Saturday, December 28, 2019.

A native of Athens Tennessee, he was born July 30, 1924 to Earl Newton Smith and Gladys (Cagle) Smith. In addition to his parents, Marion was preceded in death by his brothers Mearle Arthur Smith, Robert Harold Smith, James Earl Smith, son Creighton Lee Smith, and his wife of 70 years Roxie Elizabeth Smith. Marion is survived by his sons Gary Edwin Smith (Cindy) of Norcross Georgia, Alan Richard Smith (Tina) of Canton Georgia, daughter Alice Ann Smith of Atlanta, grandchildren Patrick Clayton Smith, Kelley Elizabeth Smith, Lillian Francis Smith, Creighton Lee Smith II, Chelsea Brooke Smith, Corey Chase Smith, and great grandchildren James Lee Smith and Arthur Morgan Smith.

Marion attended McMinn County High School in Athens, Tennessee where he excelled in basketball and football. In 1943 he enlisted in the U.S Army Air Force. After training in Sioux Falls South Dakota, he was assigned to the Eighth Air Force, 452nd Bomb Group, 730th Squadron and shipped out to Doepham Greene air base in Northern England where he would fly eleven B-17 strategic bombing missions over Germany as radio operator/waist gunner until the war ended in 1945. After the war he continued to fly on mercy missions dropping food and supplies to those in need in war torn Europe. He was discharged in December 1945 having been awarded the Flying Medal and two Bronze Stars for combat in the Rhineland Central Europe campaign. Returning to Athens after the war Marion attended Tennessee Wesleyan University in Athens where he earned his Associates degree and continued his passion for sports, excelling in football, basketball, and tennis. He married his beloved wife of seventy years, Roxie Elizabeth Smith, in Athens September 19,1948. He was a cherished member of the community for the next seventeen years while raising his family in Athens where he called football and basketball games for the local radio station, sang in the choir at Trinity United Methodist church and began his career with Moore Business Forms. In 1965 Marion relocated with his family to Atlanta Georgia, settling in the Oak Grove community and continuing his career with Moore until his retirement in 1989. He was an active member at Oak Grove United Methodist church for over fifty years where he continued to sing in the choir. Marion enjoyed many years of retirement playing golf and traveling while continuing to play an integral role in the lives of his children and grandchildren. He was, throughout his life, a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and cherished friend to all who knew him.

Visitation at 10:00 a.m. followed by funeral services at 11:00 a.m. will be held Thursday January 2nd at Oak Grove United Methodist church, 1722 Oak Grove Rd. Decatur, GA. Memorial Gifts may be made to The United Methodist Children’s Home, 1967 Lakeside Parkway, Suite 400, Tucker,Ga 30084