Dr. Kirk Smith, age 63, of Cartersville, GA., passed away Thursday, July 21, 2016 after a courageous three year battle with AML, acute myeloid leukemia. Dr. Smith was born on August 20, 1952 in Ringgold, Georgia, a son of William H. Prickett and the late Carolyn Kirk Prickett.
Dr. Smith was a graduate of The Georgia Institute of Technology graduating with an Industrial Engineering degree in 1974. During his time at Georgia Tech he became a member of the Kappa Alpha Fraternity, joining a band of brothers he would have for life. For eight years he worked for the NC Community College System as their Regional Customized Training Director. As a highly certified trainer he traveled the state conducting training in 97 of North Carolina’s 100 counties. He worked for a number of years with Kepner-Tregoe of Princeton, NJ as a consultant in decision-making and problem-solving for various corporations. He was an expert in measurement and evaluation of training and for ten years he worked with the ROI Institute as Director of ROI Implementation. He was an accomplished consultant and published author.
He ended his career at Western Carolina University as an Assistant Professor teaching an online master’s program of human resource development. He loved traveling to campus several times a month and had the unique fortune to have had a career that he always enjoyed and remained passionate about. Kirk was extremely excited about his work, diligently seeking to do his absolute best in enriching the lives of others, be it through training or teaching. In his spare time he found peace and joy in fly fishing, hiking, and exercising and was a voracious reader of HR Management books. Mr. Smith was a member of Sam Jones United Methodist Church and was one of the teachers of the Pairs & Spares Sunday School class for many years. Kirk was a devoted husband, father, and friend, and a well-respected colleague. He will certainly he missed by all who knew him and remembered for his smile and gentle, positive outlook on life.
Along with his mother Carolyn and his Uncle Bob Kirk, he is preceded in death by one younger brother, Kent Smith. Kirk is survived by his wife of twenty years, Kathy Hayes Smith; two children, Jessica Akeroyd (Shane) of Lubbock, TX., and Tyler Smith (Natalie) of El Paso, TX.; sister, Kimberly Hargrove (Andy) of Auburn, GA; brother, Kenny Smith of Wilmington, NC.; sister-in-law, Cindy Smith of Dallas, GA.; three grandchildren, Parker Smith, August Smith, and Michelle Raye Akeroyd; mother-in-law Betty Hayes of Cartersville, GA.; and his beloved dog, Tripp; several nieces and nephews also survive.
A Celebration of Life service will be held at three o’clock in the afternoon on Saturday, July 30, 2016 in the sanctuary of Sam Jones Memorial United Methodist Church in Cartersville with Nena Jones and Lori Ethridge officiating. The family will receive friends from one o’clock in the afternoon until three on Saturday, July 30, 2016 at the Family Life Center of Sam Jones Memorial UMC.
In lieu of flowers the family has requested tributes be made to Caring Bridge, www.caringbridge.org/visit/kirksmith or donations be made to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society at www.lls.org or donations to Sam Jones Memorial UMC, www.samjonesumc.org in his memory.
Please visit www.owenfunerals.com to post tributes and sign the on-line register. Owen Funeral Home, 12 Collins Dr., Cartersville, GA 30120 has charge of the arrangements
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