Donald Harris Smith

Donald Harris Smith

I was born in Pueblo, in the beautiful state of Colorado. Growing up, I loved to explore every mountain, lake, river, prairie, and even the city. I enjoyed hunting, fishing, hiking, and horseback riding in the mountains. I did not mind walking miles across the prairies exploring. I used to hunt duck, pheasants, and rabbits. My mother would always make us a wonderful dinner when I brought something home.

I learned to swim by diving into the muddy Arkansas River as I was carried down the river. In the winter time, I would enjoy sledding down the hills and ice skating in the park where the water would freeze over.

Even at a young age, I enjoyed learning about electronics. At age 10 or 11, I would buy old radios and hook up antennas, trying to pick up broadcasts from around the world.

My father died when I was 12 and my mother died when I was 16. I came to California with my aunt and uncle. I went to high school for a while at Poly High School in Long Beach. I got a job at the Naval Shipyard as an electrician’s helper. When I turned 17, I joined the Merchant Marines. I went to Boston / Gallup’s Island to the Maritime Naval Radio School and learned how to be a Merchant marine wartime radio operator on ships. In World War II, I sailed in the South Pacific carrying fuel to the fleet with the Merchant Marines as a radio officer. When World War II was over, I continued to sail all around the world, including going all around the world one time.

After being honorably discharged from the Merchant Marines by the US Coast Guard I went to Long Beach City College for a couple of years. I was elected Student Body President and got an AA degree in electronics. Then the Korean War started, and I decided to join the army. I enlisted as a Master Sargeant (ER19479232) and was responsible for VHF communications from Namsan Mountain near Seoul.

After the War ended, I came back home. My friend Milt McCafferty worked at Bendix computer, so I got a job there too. After 1 year, they wanted to make me a field service engineer, but I decided to go back to school instead and got my Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Arts from Cal State Long Beach. I spent 3 years in the Summer time in the Arctic doing electronic work to pay for my schooling. The dean offered me a teaching position teaching electronics. I also continued getting my Master’s degree there and then my doctorate degree at UCLA. I taught at CSULB and Long Beach City College for over 30 years, teaching electronics, computers, photography, and graduate classes.

Growing up, I went to church or Sunday School in Pueblo at a Methodist church, but I do not remember hearing anything about Jesus. When I was at the Radio School in Boston on Gallup’s Island, I went to church each Sunday (there was no other place to go!). There they gave out a little New Testament. In the back of the New Testament, they asked if you wanted to become a Christian. I signed and dated it, but I do not believe I really knew Jesus as my Lord and Savior at that time. When I came back to California in-between sailing trips, I went to the First Brethren Church in Long Beach (invited by my friend Howard Gulick, a friend of my brother). The pastor there, Dr. Charles Mayes, taught the gospel and I realized I was a sinner and I accepted the Lord because I thought it was a wonderful thing that God would let us be part of His kingdom if we accepted Jesus as our Savior, a joyous thing to learn.

The Holy Spirit came into my life and I became a Christian.

I met my wife Judie at the First Brethren Church. We were married for over 53 years. My wife died over six years ago and I miss her greatly. I have three sons, Greg (who married Karin and have three daughters Amanda, Audra, and Alicia), Bryant (who married Tonya and has a son Tanner), and David who married Linda and have a daughter Kona and a son Kyle). God has blessed me with a wonderful family that I love so much.

My brother Roy and I (I also have a sister Marjorie) built a cabin outside of Durango, Colorado. We went on vacation there every summer for over 40 years, breathing fresh mountain air, fishing, and being with good friends. I wanted my sons to know there was more than the black top in California. We enjoyed fishing and hiking beautiful Colorado.

Looking back on my life, I see what an amazing adventure I lived. I had the privilege to go all over the world. The sad thing is that everything comes to an end. It all went by so fast. But I cannot wait for heaven to see Jesus!

A funeral service for Donald was held on Friday, February 25, 2022 from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM at Westminster Memorial Park, 14801 Beach Blvd., Westminster, CA 92683.

The funeral order of service was as follows:

Prelude – 11:30 – 12 Noon

Battle Hymn of the Republic

Bridge over Troubled Water

Give Me Jesus

How Great Thou Art

I Can Only Imagine

The Old Rugged Cross

Rock of Ages

Welcome, Thanks, and Prayer Commemoration of a Life (read the story of Dad)

Video

Remembrances of Dad by the family and friends

Message

Prayer

Song - Taps

Then for the Postlude,

Battle Hymn of the Republic

Bridge over Troubled Water

Give Me Jesus

How Great Thou Art

I Can Only Imagine

The Old Rugged Cross

Rock of Ages

Welcome, Thanks, and Prayer

Thank you all for coming today. Thank you to our family, friends, church, and the Cypress Police department. Thank you all for helping us go through this very difficult time. We get through this because of your love and support and knowing that my dad is in heaven with the Lord Jesus and with mom and that we will see him again. As much as he loves us, he would not want to come back!

Father God, . . .

The Hope of the Resurrection

Introduction

The death of my dad, or any loved one is a horrible event. Death brings out all of the emotions. There is denial, anger, sadness, depression, loneliness, confusion, and even joy. Yes, there can be joy in the midst of suffering. Joy is the confidence that God is in control and is working out all things for our good, even in death.

Everyone has questions about life after death. Am I next? Is there something after death? Is there a heaven? Is there a hell? Will I ever see that person who died again? The only place that we can know the truth, that we can know the answers of the future, is in the Bible. There is no other place.

The Apostle Paul wrote a section of Scripture to help answer these questions and the grief and confusion about the future, especially when someone dies. I would like to read I Thessalonians 4:13 – 18.

I Thessalonians 4:13 – 18

13 And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with Him the believers who have died.

15 We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet Him ahead of those who have died.

1. 16 For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God.

2. First, the believers who have died will receive their new bodies.

3. 17 Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds

4. to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever.

18 So encourage each other with these words.

Message

Paul wrote this so that we would not have grief and confusion like a person who has no hope, so that we would not be uninformed. These are things a Christian needs to know.

We all grieve when someone dies. But we do not grieve like there is a hopeless finality or confusion, that there will never be a reunion, that we will never see that believer again.

When you die, when my dad died, his body died, his soul and spirit did not die. Death pertains only to the body. When we believers are absent from this body, the Apostle Paul tells us that we are present with the Lord (II Corinthians 5:8). When we leave this world, Christians are with Christ (Philippians 1:23). We go into the Lord’s presence.

Christians never say a final farewell to each other. We will someday be with each other (II Thessalonians 2:1). So we do not grieve like the rest of mankind!

So how do we get there? How do we get this kind of hope and confidence of life and reunion after death? Look please at verse 14. The first condition is that we must believe that Jesus died. Here in verse 14, we see the word, “since.” “Since” you believe that Jesus died, just as the Scriptures predicted. Since you believe Jesus died and rose from the dead, and He did, you can be equally certain that the events of the return of Christ will also take place.

Jesus’ death paid the price for our sins. Jesus’ death satisfied God’s requirements for righteousness, holiness, and justice. By His death, Jesus paid the full penalty for our sins. He became our substitute. God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (II Corinthians 5:21). So now when we die, our body goes to the ground, but our soul and spirit go to be with the Lord.

We must believe that Jesus died and also that Jesus rose from the dead. The Father accepted Jesus’ sacrifice, that Jesus conquered sin and death, and then raised Him up.

If you knew my dad, you knew he was a Christian. I am not sure when he became a Christian. The process started when his mother took him and Uncle Roy and Aunt Marge to church when they were children. And then he heard the gospel preached there on Gallup’s Island in Boston at the Radio School. And then, later on, under Dr. Charles Mayes, he heard the gospel and believed. And he taught us, his children, the truth and raised us on the truth and it has become our truth, our faith, also.

If we believe that Jesus died and that Jesus rose from the dead, “so also.” God will treat those who died trusting in Jesus in the same way He treated Jesus Himself. So also will they be resurrected. Because Jesus lives, so also will we (John 14:19). Christ is the firstfruits of all who live, first Jesus, then all who are Christ’s!

This verse tells us that at the Rapture, when Christ returns, God will bring with Jesus all who have fallen asleep through Jesus. All who have died already, they too will participate in the Rapture. They will come from heaven with Christ to receive their resurrected body. Christ will then bring all church believers back to heaven with Christ, to a place prepared for us (John 14:1 – 3).

When? When does this happen? The Rapture can take place now at any moment. It is imminent. It could happen today or in 50 years. We will then be rescued from the wrath that is to come upon the whole world (Revelation 3:10 II Peter 2:9).

So what is the process or steps for eternity? How does it all come about for us? How does the Rapture take place? Look please at verses 15 – 17. How can we believe this over any other story? Paul tells us that this does not come from his speculation, but by the Word of the Lord. This came directly to Paul by Jesus the Lord.

The first thing that happens is in verse 16. The Lord Himself will descend from heaven. He will not send His angels to come and get us. The Lord Himself will come. He will descend from heaven where He has been since His ascension. He will descend and there will be a shout or a loud command like the Commander calling His troops home (John 5:25). He will have the voice of the archangel. The trumpet of God will sound, making the announcement.

The second thing that will take place is that dead Christian believers will receive their new bodies. Please look at the last part of verse 16. As soon as the Lord comes and descends, all Christians who have died during the church age, from Pentecost to the Rapture, will receive their new glorified resurrected bodies, making them in the image of Christ (I John 3:2; Romans 8:38, 14:8). They will become immortal. The Christians who have died will not miss out on the Rapture. They are included. And since they are in heaven, God will bring them with Him back when He returns with the believers who are still living on the earth and these dead believers will receive their new bodies first.

Look at verse 15b and 17 for the third thing that takes place with the Rapture. Living believers will then receive their new bodies.

Here, we will be “caught up.” The Latin word for “caught up” is rapturo, where we get our word Rapture. We will be caught up or snatched away.

And then the fourth thing happens (17b). We will meet the Lord in the air and always be with Him and with all believers in Christ who have died. We will meet Jesus and will be with Him from that point always. We will also be caught up together with the believers who were raised from the dead, meeting them in God’s presence. Dad will be with Mom!

What is the point of telling us all of this? Verse 18 gives us the answer. The benefit of understanding the Rapture is not to simply know the future. Instead, it is to comfort and encourage us now, when believers die! God is the God of all comfort (II Corinthians 1:3). One day, Christ will come for us and we will be with God and our Christian family forever. That is the greatest comfort! Comfort one another with these words!

Application

Janet Barnes is a missionary in Columbia. She sent a message to my dad, shortly before he died. She said, . . .

Your Dad has been supporting my Bible translation work among the Tuyuca Indians of Colombia for a number of years. When you visit him today, or tomorrow, please give him my greetings, and let him know that I am praying for him. I have appreciated his friendship and prayers very very much.

Janet Barnes in Colombia

I told my dad that when he gets to heaven, there will be a whole lot of Tuyuca Indians waiting there to greet him. He said, “Oh boy!”

“Oh boy” is exactly right! We cannot imagine what heaven will be like. Jesus said, “In My Father’s house there are many mansions. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto Myself, that where I am, you may be also” (John 14:3).

Jesus Christ is our blessed hope (Titus 2:13). When He returns for us, we will be conformed to the same likeness of Christ’s glorified body (Philippians 3:21). That means no more death, no more sickness, no more pain. It means that if you want to go from here to there, you do not need a car or plane! We will be like Him forever! And we will be with God forever, except now we will be able to see Him!

So, there is no need for sorrow like those who do not have this hope. Yes, we are sad and broken when someone dies. But if they know Christ, we will be with them again. That should comfort us and put us in anticipation for this wonderful day! Are you ready? Do you know Christ? Do you believe that He died and rose for you? If you do, get ready to go!

The minute you decide to receive Jesus as Savior and Lord, that you believe that He died to pay the price for your sins, you become a Christian and you will be with Christ forever and ever!

A shelter service and interment is scheduled to occur on Wednesday, March 2, 2022 at 11:00 AM at Riverside National Cemetery, 22495 Van Buren Blvd., Riverside, CA 94102.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.westminstermemorial.net for the Smith family.