Laurence Francis “Larry” Smith, 75, of Conniff Road, Groveland, passed away peacefully on Monday, January 12, in the residence that he shared with his daughter, Melanie.
Born in New York state, on February 2, 1950, he was the son of the late Kenneth Truman and Marie Louise Estelle LeMaitre Smith.
Larry grew up in Wellsville, New York, and enjoyed hunting and fishing as a kid. He completed his elementary and secondary education at local schools. He graduated from Andover HS.
In 1968, Larry enlisted in the Marine Corps, where he valiantly served his country in Vietnam, attaining the rank of Lance Corporal. He participated in Operation Pipestone Canyon, conducted by the First Marine Division to find enemy forces and destroy their capability to attack the Da Nang area. His unit was also engaged in a civic action program, designed to assist the Vietnamese people in completing self-help projects, such as the building of walls, culverts, small bridges, and schools. As a member of the First Marine Division, in the Republic of Vietnam, he became eligible to wear the Unit Citation of the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Palm, the highest level of this award. The decoration was presented to the division for its aggressive operations throughout the I Corps Tactical Zone. He was honorably discharged in 1970 with a Purple Heart medal for injuries from grenade shrapnel.
Upon returning from Vietnam, Larry traveled the United States. While working in the oil fields of Wyoming, he met the beautiful young woman who would become his wife, Deborah Lee Huntington. The two continued their travels together, marrying in 1977 in Findlay, Ohio, and starting a family that would include five children. They were inseparable until her death, on December 6, 2019.
Larry provided for his family using skills that he acquired in the Marine Corps, working as a heavy equipment operator, first in Ohio, and later in Florida, when the family relocated in 1986. A back injury, on the job, would end his career prematurely and plague him with pain that he endured for much of his later life. He received post-secondary education at Bowling Green State University, in Ohio and Valencia Community College in Florida.
Larry lived for his family, and he was known as “Pops” by his children’s many friends, whom the Smiths welcomed into their home. Some knew him as “Crazy Larry”, as he always had a story to tell, often of the horrors that he experienced in Vietnam. He often stressed that he was not “in the rear with the gear and the beer.”
He was preceded in death by his wife, Debbie, his daughter Maurie Smith, his parents, and his sister, Patricia “Patty” McClanahan. Surviving are children Daniel Huntington, Melanie Smith, Kenneth (Chelle) Smith, and Marcus Smith, along with brothers Kenneth (Valerie) Smith, Dennis Smith, and Barry (Brenda) Smith. Also surviving are grandchildren Kirsten Mack, Nadia Huntington, Logan Smith, Chase Smith, and Ivey Smith along with many nieces and nephews.
A memorial service will be held at 3238 Conniff Road Groveland, FL 34736 at the Smith homestead, in Bay Lake on Saturday January 24th at 1PM. Interment with military honors will occur TBD in Florida National Cemetery, Bushnell, Florida. Donations, in Larry’s honor, may be made to Wounded Warrior Project (support.woundedwarriorproject.org) or any other Veteran Support group of your choice.
