David "Dave" Lee Smith

It is with great sadness, yet much love and many fond memories, that we mourn the sudden passing of David Lee "Dave" Smith, a.k.a “Poppa”, of Caldwell, Idaho on May 8, 2024, at the age of 81 years. Dave was born on November 13, 1942, in Fairdealing, Missouri to the late Oscar Forest and Irene Smith. He was the youngest of 4 siblings, Eugene, Wilma, and Virtis. The family relocated to Watsonville, CA where Dave was raised during his younger years.  He enlisted in the US Navy, dedicating 4 years of his life and serving on the USS Kearsarge, a commitment that deepened his love for his country.

Dave met the love of his life, Erika (whom he called his girl), and two years afterward, they married in Santa Cruz, CA. on February 6th, 1966.  They were together for 60 years and just celebrated 58 years of marriage. Together, they raised two sons, Dennis (Caldwell) and Jeff (Denise) of Meridian. He was a proud grandfather to Samantha Smith of Meridian, Devin Smith, currently serving in the US Navy aboard the USS Eisenhower, and Kasey the youngest of the 3, whom he loved very much. 

He also loved his many nieces and nephews, Philip (Claudia) Smith of Austin, Texas, Joey Smith of Caldwell, Curtis (Victoria) Smith of Wichita, Kansas along with Dave’s brother Virtis Smith. Sharald Church (Scott) of Longmont, Colorado, Kelly Clark (George) who just recently relocated to Nampa, and Nikki Clark (Jason) of Nampa. Anthony Frischknecht (Stephanie) of Denver, Colorado, and Naomi Gange (Nick) of Myrtle Beach, SC, and their sister Anna. Along with many close friends here in Idaho and around the Western United States who loved and will miss him but have many great memories of our dad.

A passionate golfer, and poker player, Dave spent many days on the greens at Fairview in Caldwell and enjoyed watching golf tournaments at home. He also was a fan of Westerns and NASCAR, which filled many of his leisure hours in retirement. Dave's love for road trips and Jackpot, national monuments, the coastal trips, the Grand Canyon, and Arizona in the winter upon retirement with Erika highlighted their adventurous spirit and the deep bond they shared over 60 years.

We take comfort in knowing that Dave's legacy of love, kindness, and friendships will live on through his family, especially in his last days shared over FaceTime with grandson Devin who loved his Poppa.

Details of the Celebration of Life for Dave will be announced at a later date. The family appreciates all of the love and support during this time, and we invite you to share your memories and condolences.

We love you, Dad, we’ll miss you for the rest of our time on this earth and thank you for making our lives better by showing us the outdoors and our beautiful National Parks along with Mom.

Dennis and Jeff

A memorial service with military honors will be held on Thursday, May 23, 2024, at 2:00 pm at the Idaho State Veterans Cemetery, 10100 Horseshoe Bend Road in Boise. Services are under the care of Flahiff Funeral Chapel, Caldwell. (208) 459-0833