Lawrence 'Larry' Wayne Smith, 68

Lawrence "Larry" Wayne Smith, born Oct. 1, 1946, passed April 20, 2015.

Larry was born in Helena, Mont., to Richard and Maxine Smith. He was the sixth of seven children. Larry was raised in Cusick, Wash., where he attended school until he was drafted into the United States Army for service in Vietnam. He was honorably discharged in the spring of 1970 as a 546th 577 Engineers Battalion Crane Shovel Operator. After returning home from the service, Larry married Yvonne Hamilton. They had two children, Tonya and Richard.

Larry was employed in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, by Diamond International Lumber mill, later called Crown Pacific as a Certified Lumber Grader for 32 years. During his tenure he was recognized with numerous honors for his performance as a Certified Lumber Grader. He competed for and won the award for the Champion Lumber Grader in five states ranging from Montana to California.

Larry enjoyed the outdoors. He and his sister, Donna, spent many hours in the woods and fields picking huckleberries and strawberries. He liked hunting, fishing and cutting firewood. Those close to him have many fond and humorous memories and stories to share about those outdoor experiences. Larry also enjoyed cooking and making a mess in the kitchen. He loved to make sauerkraut, spaghetti, beef stew and many varieties of casseroles.

Larry liked to work with his hands. He was a skilled carpenter and got a great deal of satisfaction building custom dog and cat houses.

Larry loved animals of all kinds. He had an especially soft spot for kitty cats. They were very spoiled and could do no wrong in his home. As a young boy he would haul the family Cocker Spaniel in his wagon for hours. To hear stories from Larry and other family members, "Amber" was the smartest dog ever.

Larry was well respected by those who knew him. He was an honest and extremely hardworking man. He had a great sense of humor. He had a kind and soft heart. He would drop whatever he was doing to help a friend. Larry was a man of very few words, but through his smile or gestures you always knew what he was thinking. He held on to that trait up through the last moments of his life ...

Lawrence will surely be missed by all who knew and loved him.

Larry is preceded in death by his father, Richard; mother Maxine; brother David; sisters Elsie and Joyce; and companion Patti. He is survived by sisters Donna, Carole and Joanne; son Richard and daughter Tonya; four grandchildren; and many loving nieces and nephews.

Visitation begins at 1 p.m., with the funeral service at 2 p.m. Friday, April 24, 2015, at Holy Cross Cemetery and Funeral Center Chapel, 7200 N. Wall St., Spokane, Wash. Interment with military honors will follow at Holy Cross Cemetery.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Catholic Funeral and Cemetery Services of Spokane.