George William Smith Jr.

Bill was born on September 29, 1940, in Atlanta, Georgia. After attending E. Rivers School and Northside High School, Bill went to Vanderbilt University and graduated from Georgia Tech, where he was a member and rush chairman of the SAE fraternity. Upon graduation, he married his high school sweetheart, Mary Earle Crew, and soon thereafter they moved to Bavaria, where he was stationed for two years as a lieutenant in the U.S. Army.

In 1966, he joined Edward E. Smith and Company, a grain brokerage firm founded by his wife’s grandfather in 1904. During his 40 years with the company, Bill served as president of the Georgia Feed and Grain Association (GFGA) in 1980 and Executive Director of the Association from 1990 to 2005. GFGA awarded Bill the first Gilbert Dillon Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009.

In 2004, Bill founded Edward E. Smith Trading Company, which imported and sold Russian phosphate in America. He was told by many that it could not be done, but, being an eternal optimist, he made the business a success.

Bill was old school. Ever honest and conscientious, he spent time getting to know his customers and clients face-to-face, making lifelong friendships in the process.

He was a member of Peachtree Road United Methodist Church, where he coached football and basketball for his sons, ushered for many years, and served on various committees. Bill and Early participated with their close friends in the Atlanta Study Club for nearly 40 years, meeting regularly for lectures and discussion.

But his heart was in the mountains of North Georgia, where he and Early spent a great deal of time. Their mountain house was the center of countless dinners and parties, always featuring great food, lively conversation, lots of laughter, and good wine. Bill was hands-down THE best fire maker in the Southeast. He’d never leave the mountains without first laying a fire for the next visitors.

Bill was a true Southern gentleman, respected in both his career and personal life as a man of integrity and substance. And he loved to have a good time. A lifetime member of the Capital City Club, Bill enjoyed playing tennis and golf. He loved art, dancing, thrift-shopping, and old-time rock ’n’ roll music. He adored his family and was infinitely proud of his children and grandchildren.

Celebrating holidays together was always a highlight. Bill never met a stranger and left a trail of new friends and fans everywhere he went.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents, Margaret Bostwick Smith and George William Smith, and his sister, Sara Margaret (“Sally”) Smith. He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Early Crew Smith; his sons, Glenn Bostwick Smith (Tyler) and Bradley Cole Smith (Jane); and his grandchildren, Chapin and Madison Smith and Graham and Early Smith.

His family would like to thank the staff on the rehabilitation floor at Lenbrook for the loving care they provided him during his illness.

A funeral service will be held Tuesday, November 10, at 3:00 p.m. at Peachtree Road United Methodist Church, followed by a reception in Grace Hall.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to either of the following:

Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University

1762 Clifton Road, Suite 2400

Atlanta, GA 30322

Peachtree Road United Methodist Church

3180 Peachtree Road NE