Ilience Smith, (“Smitty”) age 92, passed away on Tuesday, July 21, 2020 at Overton Brooks VA Medical Center in Shreveport. He was born in Mamou, Louisiana on September 19, 1927 to Smith Smith and Lucia Fuselier from Ville Platte, Louisiana. He was happiest when he was helping and serving other people. He was raised on a farm and was the youngest of 10 children. As a teenager he worked in New Orleans helping to make the Higgins Boats for the military. When he turned 18, he joined the United States Army on December 12, 1945 and went over to Europe and served as a motion picture projectionist during the occupation. He served a second tour of duty as a reservist in New Orleans, Louisiana from 1950-1951 as a truck driver during the Korean War.
After faithfully serving his time in the military he went to barber school and moved to Bossier City where he was a barber for the rest of his life. He worked at the Bossier Parish Courthouse for several years holding positions as part of the Posse, bailiff, and deputy. He owned and ran a mobile home park in Bossier City, Louisiana for 40 years.
Ilience and Ramona Thibodeaux Smith were married in 1949 and had seven children together. Left to honor and remember Smitty are his six children; Debbie Albert, Luci Graffigna, John (Sue) Smith, Georgianna (Scott) Stebbins, Douglas Smith, Michelle (Robert) Fields: seven grandchildren; Megan (Jesse) Quiapo, Addie Goodin, Adrianne Stebbins, Katie Albert, John Albert, and Lydia (Weston) Cronan and Libby Fields: three great-grandchildren; Carson Goodin, Landon Goodin, and Frankie Quiapo and many nieces and nephews. Smitty was preceded in death by his parents, Smith Smith, and Lucia Fuselier, all his brothers and sisters, his son Tim Smith, and daughter-in-law Linda Sanfillipo.
Smitty will be remembered as a Cajun among Cajuns. He loved helping people find solutions to their problems and always had a word of wisdom to share. Some of his favorite sayings were, “Washa You Hands”, “Couillon”, “Allons”, “Eh Ha”, “Fais pas ci”, “Touche pas”, “Sha”, “How’s yo’ Mama an’ dem?”, “Booray”, “Bonsoir”, “Je t’aime mon cher”, “Bourre”, “C’est tout cher”.
Funeral services will be held on Monday, July 27, 2020 at 10:30 a.m. at Christ the King Church, 425 McCormick St., Bossier City, Louisiana, with Father Fidel Mondragon conducting the Catholic Mass. Burial will follow at Hill Crest Memorial Funeral Home, 601 US Highway 80 East, Haughton, Louisiana.
The family will greet friends from 3:00-5:00 p.m. on Sunday, July 26 at Hill Crest Memorial Funeral Home in Haughton.
The Smith family would like to extend our gratitude to all the staff at River View Care Center in Bossier City, Louisiana who took care of him the last year of his life and also the Overton Brooks VA Hospital staff during his last weeks. In lieu of flowers, please send a donation to your favorite charity.
