Craig Rocky "Rocky" Smith

"Rocky"

March 26, 1948, Portland, Oregon~

October 7, 2011, Portland, Oregon

Craig "Rocky" Smith of Hillsboro, Oregon died October 7, 2011. Born in Portland, Craig was raised in Corbett, Oregon, graduating from Corbett High School in 1966. He spent two years actively serving in the US Army as an MP and missile specialist. Craig was an avid fisherman and animal lover, and loved to cook. Most of all, however, he loved to make people smile. Craig is survived by his wife, Debra; daughter, Crystal Smith of Charlotte, NC; grandsons, Michael and Robert Carreon, also of Charlotte; and six nieces and nephews. A Celebration of Rocky's life will take place in Skyline Memorial Gardens & Funeral Chapel on Thursday, October 13th at 1:00 pm. He will be privately laid to rest in Skyline Memorial Gardens Garden Mausoleum. Please visit and make an entry on the guestbook feature of this internet memorial.

~ And Now For More of Rocky's Story ~

Craig Lynn Smith, affectionately known as Rocky in his younger years, was the youngest of five very rambunctious boys. So rambunctious in fact, that they often used little Rocky as target practice on more than one occasion. Growing up with a household full of boys, Craig naturally became a very curious and very adventurous child. You could say a little too adventurous at times! One incident as a young boy involved him pounding a stick of dynamite with a hammer, just to see if he could get it to blow up. On another occasion at a mere four years of age, he decided to help his mother with the garden. He woke up early and took off with the rototiller, much to his mother’s very unhappy surprise! As a boy Craig loved to trap and hunt animals as well, and in later years he was an avid hunter and fisherman. Eventually after a mishap with a firearm, Craig decided that focusing on fishing might just be the better way to go!

Craig had a softer side too though. He developed his love of baking at the hands of his mother. As he became older, his love of baking turned into a love of cooking big, elaborate meals and having his house full of friends and family.

Craig grew up in Corbett, Oregon and graduated from Corbett High School in 1966 with dreams of being an architect. Eventually however Craig was drafted and went into the Army. In his short time in the Army he quickly rose to a Military Policeman and was even granted special clearance for his role as a nuclear missile specialist.

After leaving the military, Craig jumped into the career that would eventually be his calling. He became a salesman. It didn’t matter what it was or who he was selling to, Craig could sell anything! And he did; whether it be encyclopedias, life insurance, mattresses, electronics, furniture, it didn’t matter. He was also an entrepreneur. Craig’s first enterprise involved his other love, his love of animals. He and Linda opened an exotic pet store in Lake Oswego and sold all varieties of animals: lizards, chameleons, alligators, snakes, and even the monkeys that they tended to keep as pets instead of selling. During this time, Craig and Linda became parents to their daughter, Crystal.

Eventually, Craig closed the pet store and continued on his journey. His adventures led him to Hillsboro, where he met his future wife, Debra. After many, many, many years of courtship (19, but who’s counting?!), they wed. Throughout their years together, much happened in Craig and Debra’s life. They became grandparents to Michael and Robert. They became Aunt and Uncle to Jessica and Kyle and James and Ella and Andrea, parents to Meow Meow, Kitty Kitty, and Smokey, but mostly they just became the couple everyone always knew they would be. Craig continued his love of entertaining and making people happy, with big celebrations and family dinners. He completely threw himself into Christmas with fantastic celebrations of lights. As he got older and grew the requisite white beard, he became Santa. Being Santa and making people happy meant a lot to Craig. So much in fact, that he requested, no, demanded, that he be buried in his Santa suit. The idea of resting peacefully in a suit that gave so many other people, as well as himself, such joy, was all he could ask for in the end.