Keith Wayne Smith

Keith Wayne, the fourth of six children was delivered and presented by a midwife to his parents, Sarah Edith Hepler Smith and Roy Winston Smith. Keith grew up in a converted country store by the creek. He went to school in nearby Boiling Springs and Covington High School where he participated in the choir. As a teenager he worked for Nehi Bottling Company. In September of 1951, Keith’s mother passed away at the age of 47. This left a lasting impact on a 17 year old young man. Then, days short of his 18th birthday; Keith joined the United States Air Force in March 1952.

During his 21 plus years in the service, Keith received numerous decorations and medals including the Meritorious Service Medal. Being in the Air Force gave Keith the opportunity to expand his education with many military training schools and classes along with 70 credit hours at Mesa Community College.

While assigned to the air base at Bovingdon, Hertfordshire England, Keith met Ruth Marjorie Pearce on January 11th 1953. Their friendship turned to love and led to marriage April 24th, 1954. In the 800-year-old St. Lawrence Church in Saint Albans. During their marriage Keith and Ruth had five children born at four different military bases. Gary Wayne, April 8th, 1955 born at Bovingdon Air Base in England, Karen Leila, born September 24th, 1957 in Ruislip, England, Glen Keith, born February, 17th, 1959 in Ruislip, England, Lori Avril, December 17th, 1962 in Offutt AFB, Omaha, NE, and Gayle Marjorie, March 30th, 1965 in Langley, AFB, in Hampton Roads, VA.

In October, 1965, leaving his wife with four young children in Virginia, Keith put country first to do his part in the Vietnam War, stationed in Danang. His tour in Vietnam ended September 1966 and off to Tyndall, AFB, in Panama City, FL the reunited family went. From Florida, and now working in training instead of the Air Police, Keith, with his family in tow went to Incirlik, AFB, in Adana, Turkey. After Turkey, Keith’s last assignment was at Dover, AFB, in Dover, DE.

Keith retired from the United States Air Force in July 1973 and with his family settled in Mesa, AZ. Now a civilian, Keith found work in the finance field and worked for a loan company and then Western Horizons Federal Credit Union for 17 years. During his time at the credit union, his marriage to Ruth ended in October, 1988. Keith married Dorothy Lorraine Chappelle on March 17th, 1990 on the Beaver Creek Golf Course.

After retiring from their jobs, Keith and Dorothy built a wonderful life filled with traveling, companionship, and having loving family close by. Through the years, there have been numerous joyous gatherings. Between the two of them, there are eight children, 14 grandchildren and 15 great-children.

Keith is survived by his wife Dorothy, children Karen Leila Captain (David), Glen Keith Smith (Anne), Lori Avril Rizzo, and Gayle Marjorie Cantrell (Roy), all of his grandchildren and great-grandchildren, sister Mary Anne Hale, and brother Leon Morris Smith. Keith is preceded in death by his son, Gary Wayne Smith, his mother and father, brother's; Winston Hepler, Max Eugene, and George Pinnell.

A visitation will be held at Mariposa Gardens Memorial Park and Funeral Home, located at 6747 E Broadway Rd, Mesa, AZ 85206, in the San Tan room, on September 21, 2025, from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm.

The funeral service will follow at the same location in the San Tan room from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm.

A reception will also take place at Mariposa Gardens Memorial Park and Funeral Home in the San Tan room from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm.