Danny Joe Smith

Danny Joe Smith, the son of Jesse and Katherine (Goodman) Smith, was born on November 14, 1961, at St. Louis, Missouri.  He passed away on Wednesday, October 16, 2019, at Mountain View, Missouri, making his age 57 years, 11 months and 2 days.

Danny grew up in the Eunice/Yukon area.  He learned to love the outdoors and to fish and hunt.  He enjoyed riding down country roads with his four-legged friend and working in his wood shop.  Danny had a wonderful sense of humor and loved making people laugh.  He was also a gifted writer and musician.  Danny appreciated the simple things and had a heart for his community and family.   He especially loved being "PawPaw" to Joseph and Miranda.

Danny accepted the Lord as his Savior as a child.  He attended Midvale Pentecostal Holiness Church when he was younger and later attended Hartshorn Assembly of God for several years.  Danny loved playing his harmonicas during song service.  He loved the Lord and was faithful to serve Him in any way he could.

Danny attended Houston Schools until the sixth grade when he moved into the Summersville District.  He graduated from high school in 1980, and joined the Air Force that same year.  He served in the Air Force from September 1980 until January 1985 as a military policeman.  He then served as a member of the Air National Guard for four years.  In August 1989, Danny started taking college classes at Southwest Baptist University in Mountain View toward a degree in Elementary Education.  His first teaching position was at Birch Tree Elementary where he taught for two years as a second grade teacher and then a sixth grade teacher.   He was then was hired to teach 7-9 social studies at the Summersville R-I School District.  Danny taught hundreds of children throughout his twenty year career in education.   He then taught many of the children of those children!   He also coached many students in the areas of basketball, volleyball, and cross country.  Danny dearly loved his students, teaching, and coaching.  His impact on the lives of his students will be felt for generations.

Standing by his side through the many years of military service, teaching and coaching was his wife, Brenda, to whom he was married for 37 years.  Danny married Brenda Blake on June 19, 1982, and to this union four children were born - twins - Alyssa Jean and Ashley Danielle, Allison Elizabeth, and Alaina Taylor.  Danny was a loving and devoted husband and a wonderful father to his girls.  He always encouraged the girls to do their best in everything they set out to do.  He was very proud of all of them.

Preceding Danny in death is his father, Jesse Smith, and his mother-in-law, Imogene Blake.

Surviving are his wife, Brenda of the home, daughters; Alyssa, of Vienna, MO, Ashley (Michael) Collins of Houston, MO, Allison, of Springfield, MO, and Alaina, of Springfield, MO; grandchildren Joseph, Miranda, and Dawson Collins of Houston, MO; mother Katherine Smith of Cabool, MO; sisters Vickie (Ed) Smith of College Station, TX, Kelly (Scott) Cochran of Springfield, MO, Natasha Smith of Branson, MO.; honorary brother, David Hartlage, of New Salisbury, IN; father-in-law, Gene Blake, of Summersville, MO; sister-in-laws, Kandra (Jerry) Kirker, of Summersville, MO, and Kimberly (Bruce) Courtney of Rolla, MO, brother-in-law Darrin (Robin) Blake, of Springfield, MO.  He also leaves a host of nieces and nephews who thought their Uncle D was pretty special.  Our loss is Heaven's gain.

In lieu of flowers the family respectfully requests donations to the Danny Smith Memorial Fund in care of Bradford Funeral Home.