Henry "Don" Donald Smith

Henry Donald “Don” Smith, 81, passed away peacefully on December 19th, 2025, in Florence, South Carolina, surrounded by family. Don is survived by his wife of 57 years, Grethe Smith; his sons, Erik and Austin; his brother, Wendall Soles; and his sister, Sandra McCormick and her husband Clyde. He was preceded in death by his parents, John Henry Smith and Annie Powers Smith, his brothers, Larry Smith and Ronald Smith, and his sister, Mary Frances Daniels. Born and raised in Latta, South Carolina, Don joined the U.S. Navy at the age of 18. He served on the submarine USS Salmon based out of San Diego, where he met Grethe. His service in the Navy was a source of pride throughout his life, and he cherished attending reunions with his shipmates. After his naval service, Don and Grethe married and moved to the Pacific Northwest. While in Washington, he worked as an outside sales representative for the industrial distributor Pacific Rubber. He was later transferred to Colorado to manage the company's Central States Hose branch office, which he eventually purchased. His business was a source of enjoyment for Don and his family; even after retirement, he continued to place orders and review sales reports. During his life in Colorado, Don raised his family in Arvada and worshipped at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Lakewood, where his sons attended elementary school. He enjoyed taking his family camping and skiing in the Colorado mountains. Don and Grethe were also members of the Denver Danes club and enjoyed participating in the club's social events. Don was always on the go, whether finding new customers in the Rocky Mountains, visiting extended family in Denmark and Italy, traveling to vendors’ factories in Taiwan, or navigating his boat down a river to the Atlantic Ocean. While he loved travel and boating, his greatest passion was fishing. Don enjoyed fishing in Alaska and traveled there several times, initially with his business partners from Washington and later with his sons and his brother Ronald. Don retired to South Carolina to be close to his extended family and the ocean. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, December 27th, 2025, at 1pm at Latta Baptist Church, 202 North Marion Street, Latta, South Carolina. The Directors of Kistler Hardee Funeral Home are honored to be serving the Smith family.

Henry "Don" Donald Smith

December 19, 2025