David Wayne Smith

A lifelong resident of Georgia, David was born in 1951 to his loving parents, Rachael and Elmer who preceded him in death. Also preceding him in death were his Aunts Marie [Reggie] and Edith [John] who doted on his every move.

He is survived by his devoted older sister, Lee Reynolds [John] of Winston-Salem, NC, sweet but sassy niece, Alison and “nephew-in-law aka partner-in crime” Chris of Todd, NC. After graduating from Summerville High, David attended Duke University and bled Duke blue, despite a brief stop at Wake Forest University to pick a post-grad degree in Business/Finance.

He was a Federal Reserve ‘lifer’, having started with the Fed in Atlanta after completing his post-grad at Wake, he continued with them until his retirement. Upon retirement, David enjoyed giving back to his community by working with a local food pantry. David had a life-long love affair with travel, which he did with zest. Whether with family, friends old or new, he enjoyed exploring new places and making beautiful photographic memories. After the passing of his mother, he stepped up to help as care-giver for his beloved father until Elmer’s passing.

David was a fun-loving, snarky, make-you-laugh-til-it-hurts but laid-back individual who loved his family and the time they spent together at holidays, vacations, book fairs or baseball games. He loved both the coast and the mountains and spent countless hours in both places, with an unrealized dream of owning a lake home where he could enjoy a beautiful view while sipping on his dark mistress, COFFEE. He was firm in his beliefs, warm, kind, caring and lent a hand to many an unfortunate situation without hesitation. In addition, David loved animals, a true inherited trait from his mother who was known in her neighborhood to be the place to be for scraps and unconditional love.

David cared for strays big and small and had great joy in being able to provide a safe stop and a meal for kitties passing through. He became a sudden “dad” to four cats in 2002 after a passer-by cat stopped to deposit her litter at his doorstep. He continued to parent the family until the last of them crossed the rainbow bridge. An enjoyer of nature and love of fine cars, fine wine, fine bourbon and tolerator of his family’s unending nonsense, David was a renaissance man who approached things thoughtfully but adapted with seeming ease. However, he secretly was very competitive and loved to win slightly more than he loved to see those he loved win. His contributions to the lives of his family, friends and community were heartfelt. David’s family and friends will truly miss this caring, loving, funny person all the days of their lives. A Memorial Service has been planned for September 6, 2025 at 2:00 p.m. at Sandy Springs Chapel, 136 Mount Vernon Hwy, Sandy Springs, GA 30328.

In lieu of flowers or tributes, a donation of any amount in the name of David W. Smith would be deeply appreciated to: Dekalb County Animal Services in Georgia, Community Assistance Center on Roswell Road in North Sandy Springs, the Watauga County Humane Society in North Carolina or the ASPCA.