James Whiddon Smith

February 21, 1934 – June 26, 2026

James "Jim" Smith passed away peacefully at the age of 92 after a brief but courageous

battle with metastatic melanoma. He faced his final days with the same quiet strength,

dignity, and determination that defined his life.

Jim's story began in Florida but was shaped by both Florida and Georgia. His childhood was

not always easy. At the age of 11, he left home to live with relatives in Georgia, where he

found the stability and opportunity to begin building the resilient, independent spirit that

would guide him throughout his life. He eventually returned to DeLand, Florida, where he

became a standout track athlete, developed a tireless work ethic, and discovered a gift for

connecting with people. Even as a teenager, Jim was a hustler in the very best sense of the

word, selling Kirby vacuum cleaners door-to-door and never shying away from hard work.

When he wasn't working, there was nowhere he'd rather be than Daytona Beach, where his

lifelong love of the ocean began.

Jim proudly served his country in the United States Air Force, where he was a radar

observer assigned to the Air Force Armament Center and Air Proving Ground Command at

Eglin Air Force Base. During his military service, he participated in flight testing of the

Falcon missile and Hughes Fire Control Systems and earned flight instructor, instrument,

and commercial pilot certifications, an accomplishment that reflected his lifelong passion

for aviation and adventure.

Following his military service, Jim began what would become a distinguished 35-year

career with Hughes Aircraft. Although he never had a college degree, he possessed an

extraordinary combination of intelligence, technical ability, determination, and work ethic

that earned him the admiration of military leaders and colleagues around the world. Over

the course of his career, he worked directly with senior personnel from the U.S. Army,

Navy, Air Force, Air National Guard, and allied military forces, supporting some of the

nation's most advanced weapons systems, including the Falcon and Phoenix missile

programs.

His assignments took him across the globe. He supported Air Force squadrons throughout

Germany, introduced new aircraft systems at bases across the United States, worked in

Iran installing and operating Phoenix missile training systems, and later supervised field

engineers and complex weapons system upgrades for the U.S. Navy.

One of the defining chapters of Jim's career came when he was selected to serve as Site

Manager for the United States' portal monitoring facility in Votkinsk, Soviet Union, supporting implementation of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START). There, he worked closely with U.S. government officials, embassy personnel, and Soviet technicians