Miles Leroy Smith

Miles “Smitty” Leroy Smith passed away on September 25, 2023 at the age of 80. He was born on December 18, 1942 in Lone Pine, California and moved to Globe, Arizona when he was ten years old where he lived with his parents Jesse and Lucille and sister Charlotte until he joined the United States Air Force in 1960.

Miles had a lot of talents in his younger years. He learned to play the saxophone in the fifth grade and started playing in the high school marching band when he was only in seventh grade. He passed that talent on to his son Todd who also played saxophone in his high school marching band and went on to play for the 1st Cavalry Division Band of the United States Army. Todd continues to play the saxophone professionally, to this day.

Miles was a hard worker and started working at the Globe Food Center at the age of 15 as a box boy. As soon as he got his driver’s license he also started delivering groceries.

Miles enlisted in the US Military at the age of 17, soon after he graduated high school. His favorite story to tell was that the Globe judge gave him a choice, go to jail for a few weeks or join the military. He chose the military and honorably served 23 years in the US Air Force. Early in his career, Miles met the love of his life and wife of 48 years, Linda Jo, at Clark AFB in the Philippines. They married in Globe, AZ in 1967 and soon started a family to include his son Todd and daughter Shellane (Shelly).

Miles retired from the Air Force as a Senior Master Sergeant in 1983 from Luke AFB in Glendale, Arizona. He went on to have another full career with Motorola until he finally retired from the workforce around 1998. Miles wanted to retire in Arizona as he had roots there, including his mom and sister. His wife’s family soon followed and his in-laws, Ron and Marion, Tammy and Jerry, and Don and Arlene also retired in Arizona and created a strong family unit that provided many years of family memories including camping, game nights, pool parties, holiday parties, and family vacations. Miles was the life of the party and loved to host, grill, and provide the beer. He passed on his love for parties to his grandson Landon; Landon will most definitely carry on the tradition and make his grandfather proud.

Another talent of Miles’s was he was a master gardener. He was a member of the Men’s Garden Club of Phoenix with his best friend Bruce Baldwin for many years. Miles grew a bountiful garden in his backyard that provided year round vegetables that Linda incorporated into all her family meals. Miles passed on his love of gardening to his grandson Connor.

Miles also enjoyed hunting Elk with his best friend Bruce. Hunting was usually a family event that included Linda and Bruce’s wife Debbie holding down the campsite, keeping the fire warm, serving wonderful meals, and maybe a few cocktails. At times, Miles’s son-in-law Greg and brother-in-law Jerry would join the hunting fun. It was never a dull moment with Linda, Debbie, and sister-in-law Tammy manning the campsite. Miles passed on his love of hunting to his son Todd.

Miles loved to travel and he and Linda spent many summers exploring the United States in their cherished motorhome. They loved visiting family and friends and frequently would visit son Todd and grandson Daniel, brother-in-law and sister-in-law Ron and Deb, lifetime friends Jim and Marci, Uncle Don and Aunt Barbara, and many others. When they weren’t away for the summers, there were many local camping trips with his daughter and son-in-law Shelly and Greg, Bruce and Debbie, and so many others. Miles passed on his love of motor homing to his daughter Shelly.

Miles also had a passion for golfing. Miles considered himself a bit of a pro at golf and loved playing with anyone who would join him on the green, especially those who were less experienced than him. He would bring his clubs near and far on his travels and play with family, friends, and strangers. It was one of his most favorite pastimes. Miles passed on his love and skills of golf to his granddaughter Madisyn.

During his downtime, Miles enjoyed reading the National Geographic Magazines, in which he carried forward his grandfather and father’s collection dating all the way back to the early 1920s up to the 2020’s. He also enjoyed reading Arizona Highways, which inspired many motorhome adventures.

Miles clearly had many accomplishments in life, including serving his country for 23 years and working hard and providing for his family. He also was a grandpa for four wonderful grandchildren, Daniel, Connor, Madisyn, and Landon. Most notably, Miles’s greatest accomplishment was his commitment to being Linda’s caregiver when she became ill and was diagnosed with Parkinson’s. Miles embraced the opportunity to switch caregiver roles with his wife and he dedicated himself to care for her until she passed away in 2016; he was never the same after her passing.

After the passing of his wife, Miles showed signs of dementia that later was diagnosed as Alzheimer's. His daughter Shelly became his caregiver and devoted herself to making sure Miles was safe, received the best care and that all his needs were met, that he was comfortable, and never felt alone. Miles was a stubborn man, this everyone knows, layered with Alzheimer's made for a unique personality; his daughter stayed committed to his care right up to the end.

Miles is preceded in death by his parents Jesse and Lucille, his loving wife Linda, brother-in-law Jerry, and sister-in-law Sandra.

Miles is survived by his sister Charlotte, son and daughter-in-law Todd and Roxann, daughter and son-in-law Shelly and Greg, grandchildren Daniel, Connor, Madisyn, and Landon, and in-laws Ron, Deb, and Tammy.

Family and friends are invited to attend a Celebration of Life, Open House. Please contact family for more information.