Smith

George W. "Smitty" Smith, 73, of Butler Township died at 8:50 a.m. Friday at the VA Butler Healthcare.

Born Feb. 6, 1936, in Butler, he was the son of the late Regis I. Smith and Olive (Young) Smith.

Mr. Smith attended Saint Andrews United Presbyterian Church of Butler with his family. He was a drummer at the age of five and played in several bands over the years. He was the Greenwood Village Robinette's Drum Instructor in the early 1960s.

Mr. Smith was a member of the Butler County Fire Chief's Association. He served on the Butler City Fire Department for 25 years, retiring as chief in 1988. He then went on to become an instructor of fire training at Butler County Community College for 15 years, retiring in 2002. He also served as the Butler Township fire marshal for four years. Mr. Smith was a senior fire instructor for the Pennsylvania State Fire Academy. He was a member of the Butler County Hazardous Materials Advisory Council, and he was a fire fighting and hazardous materials instructor throughout Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio from 1969 to 1987. He was a member of the State Fire Academy Curriculum Review Committee, a member of the Community Colleges of Pennsylvania Fire Training, and he served on the Advisory Committee to the State Fire Commissioner.

He also was a Butler City Councilman from 1990 to 1994.

Mr. Smith served on the Butler Township Planning Commission, and he was a member of the Butler Loyal Order of Moose and the American Legion Post 778. He served as the chairman of the muscular dystrophy campaign at the fire department from 1969 to 1974 and the fire prevention program at the Pennsylvania State Police Camp Cadet from 1971 to 1987.

Mr. Smith was an avid NASCAR racing fan and a Steelers football fan.

He served in the U.S. Air Force from 1954 to 1958 as a sergeant 1st class stationed in Japan for two years.

Mr. Smith is survived by his wife, Sarann Williams Smith, who he married on Aug. 25, 1962; two daughters, Kelly and her husband, George, Ferrari of Butler and Tracy Smith of Butler; three grandchildren, Wade Ferrari, Grant Ferrari and Miles Smith, all of Butler.

<B>SMITH</B> — Friends of George W. "Smitty" Smith, who died Friday, Nov. 13, 2009, will be received from noon to 4 and 6 to 9 p.m. Sunday at the <B>Thompson-Miller Funeral Home</B>, 124 E. North St., Butler. A celebration of George's life will be held at Saint Andrews United Presbyterian Church at 11 a.m. Monday, with Pastor Merry Hope Meloy officiating.Interment will follow in Greenlawn Burial Estates in Mt. Chestnut.The family requests donations to be made to Saint Andrews United Presbyterian Church, 201 E. Jefferson St., Butler, PA 16001.Information and a private guest book are available at www.thompson-miller.com.