Garrett Eugene Johnson Smith

Garrett Eugene Johnson Smith, devoted son, brother, husband, father, and friend, passed away on January 3, 2017, aged 54, leaving a huge loss in many lives. Garrett, born in Berkeley, California, on March 27, 1962, was the second of nine children of Earl and Cheryl Johnson Smith. He grew up moving through three states - California, Arizona and Missouri. He spent his childhood exploring the outdoors with siblings, tinkering and inventing, and singing, both with a guitar and in the top choir in school. As he spoke at his mother’s funeral, five years ago, he related many humorous stories of how he stretched her parenting abilities to the extreme, keeping him safe and disciplining him as he grew up. Telling stories was one of his biggest hallmarks. He could make up stories, to tell at his children’s bedside or he could relate interesting incidents from his life at any time. He had a keen perception and strong memory for details in the foibles and achievements of anyone he encountered and would share his observations at any chance, usually prefaced by his famous grin and twinkle in the eye. He served a mission for the LDS church to Brazil in 1983-85. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering at University of Utah, in 1989. Even though he lived all over the United States in his adult life - Utah, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Seattle, Washington area - he always stayed in close contact with his brothers, sisters and parents, with much traveling back and forth between them, keeping the family ties strong. He also maintained good relationships with extended relatives - one of his cousins being at his bedside to the end. He was married twice and with his first wife, Roselyn, he had three children, Heidi and Hannah, who survive him, and Benjamin, who died at two months. Garrett built both his cradle and coffin. His wife of 21 years, Cyndi, and their son Andrew, also survive him, as does his father, Earl and his five brothers, Jordan, Jonathan, Jared, Daniel and David, and three sisters, Shauna, Sara and Angela. He was a gentle giant, being 6’9”, who usually had a dog in his life. He was constantly seeking to learn new things, or put newly formed paradigms together in his mind. He sought people who he could share his thoughts and revelations with and greatly appreciated anyone who would listen and understand. He worked as a mechanical engineer, and became very proficient at understanding mechanics of any machinery and fixing or analyzing the problems found therein. He started his own company, Ball Spin Engineering, Inc., as a consultant in 2000 and was called in to help on problems that left everyone else scratching their head. He was successful, well regarded in his industry, traveling all over the US and even the world at times. His last five years, he described his job with Engineering Design & Testing, as ‘CSI for broken structures’ - being called in to figure out exactly what had happened at a scene of accident or fire or infrastructure breakdown. He was a skilled craftsman with wood and built his last house, fit for a tall man where he never had to duck to go through a door. He was an artisan and created beautiful touches on anything he made. He embodied the word Smith, being an excellent craftsman, musician and wordsmith and a humble man of God. Celebration of life gatherings are planned for both where he was living, in Bremerton, Washington, on March 4, and in Missouri, where the majority of his siblings and father live, in the first week of April. His family asks that we continue his legacy by “listening to that inner voice” and acting on it. Consider someone who may need help, and be there. Find ways to be kind, and do them. Create beauty in whatever ways you are able, and never stop learning.