Gary R Smith

Memorial services will be held at St Timothy’s Episcopal Church on Monday, July 6, 2026. The family welcomes friends and loved ones before the service from 10:00-11:30. The service will follow the visitation at 11:30.

Gary was born in Des Moines, Iowa, on January 23, 1940, the son of Wilbert E. “Gus” Smith and Edna (Dunham) Smith. He grew up in West Des Moines, Iowa, where he graduated from Valley High School in 1958. Gary served his country in the Iowa Army National Guard from 1962 through 1968. He graduated from the University of Iowa in Iowa City in 1968, and was a lifelong Hawkeye fan, especially enjoying football and basketball games with friends and family.

The majority of Gary’s professional career was spent in insurance as a safety consultant in Chicago, Illinois, Omaha, Nebraska and Des Moines, Iowa. He earned the insurance designations of CSP (certified safety professional), CPCU (chartered property and casualty underwriter), ARM (associate risk manager), and was a past president of The Great Plains Chapter of the American Society of Safety Engineers. In 2000, Gary made a career change to real estate and thoroughly enjoyed his employment at Iowa Realty.

Gary’s family and friends were the joys of his life. Growing up he was happily surrounded by the extended Dunham and Smith families, which included his parents and sister Linda, as well as beloved grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and nieces and nephews. He married Marsha Morgan of Iowa City, Iowa, on February 8, 1969, and together they raised two daughters, Laura and Meg. The girls were born in Omaha but spent most of their childhood years in West Des Moines where they graduated from Valley High School as their father had and later the University of Iowa. Gary kept in touch with his Valley High School class of 1958, which is a tight-knit group. He enjoyed golfing with friends and especially loved being a proud grandfather to grandchildren, Jackson and Megan Walthart, and Zachary Gilland. Gary will be greatly missed by his family and friends. He was preceded in death by his father, Wilbert E. “Gus” Smith and his mother Edna Smith.

Gary is survived by his wife, Marsha, daughters Laura (Brian) Walthart of Iowa City and Meg (Rob) Gilland of Highlands Ranch, Colorado, his grandchildren, Jackson and Megan Walthart and Zachary Gilland, and his sister Linda (Michael) Knight of Urbandale.

Memorial contributions may be made in lieu of flowers to a fund that will be used to honor Gary’s memory.

When we think about our Gary, beloved husband, brother, father, grandfather and friend, we celebrate a life well lived. We think about the many things he taught us.

One lesson we learned from our Dad is that your family is an ever changing source of strength. Coming from a large family himself, he loved any excuse to get together with his many relatives, especially his cousins. We watched the many times our dad was called on to use his sense of humor to calmly help and support his family members. Our mom tells the story of the time he took on the morning of his wedding to coax his only nephew, Darin, into his tuxedo. He was especially close with his baby sister, Linda. They spent many fun times together and supported each other in caring for their mom, Edna.

Dad lived by the belief that there is always room for family. We can still picture him in the kitchen making his grandma's stuffing or baking one of his delicious cherry pies before one of the family gatherings. But his favorite times were sitting around the table after a meal playing games, telling stories, laughing, and listening to the people he loved so much. Dad especially loved card games with ever changing rules with his mom or laughing with Linda, and brother-in-law Mike. Those simple moments meant everything to him.

He also taught us the importance of friendship. Dad had friends from elementary school and high school who stayed close throughout his life. He also had a gift for making new friends along the way. We were lucky enough to witness and enjoy fun times, from Omaha to West Des Moines. Watching him reminded us that friendships don't just happen—they're built with love and care.

We learned what a strong, happy marriage is. Our dad met our mom 58 years ago on a blind date. From that time on, our Dad and our Mom were always together. Their personalities were different in all the right ways. They balanced one another, challenged one another, and somehow always found their way to the middle. Importantly, Dad could always make our mom laugh, even if she was sometimes shocked by his funny stories. They were always each other’s favorite companion, travel partner, and caring support.

He taught us to believe in ourselves. As the only man in a house full of girls, Dad spent a lot of time waiting for us to get ready, or encouraging us to stop overthinking everything. But we never questioned how proud he was to be a girl dad. He believed we could do anything, and because he believed it, we believed it too. He showed us the importance of working hard, finding joy in caring for his yard, and never being afraid to learn or try something new.

Of course, he was thrilled that he got to have his sons-in-law, Brian and Rob. And the fact that he had two grandsons was really special to him. He had such fun watching Jackson’s baseball and basketball games, or golfing and fishing with Zach. But he was also a beloved girl-grandpa to his only granddaughter, Megan, proudly attending all of her dance recitals and watching her play softball. Dad showed his belief for all in his expanding family.

And finally, he taught us to love the Iowa Hawkeyes. Some of our best family memories happened on Hawkeye football Saturdays. We remember going to games as kids, and later, as college students, walking over to meet Mom and Dad at the tailgate. Our dad loved adding their grandchildren and family and friends in our fun. He cheered and said some choice words, but he always loved every minute. The Iowa Hawkeye football Saturdays meant such fun, family times that were bigger than the win or loss of the day. They were about being together.

Looking back, it's those ordinary moments we'll miss the most. Sitting around a table. Sharing a meal. Watching a game. Laughing at one of Dad's stories or jokes. Those moments didn't seem extraordinary at the time, but now we realize they were the moments that built our family.

Thank you, Dad, for showing us what matters most. We love you, we will miss you every day, and we'll carry your lessons with us always.