Donald R. Smith, 76, of Mason City, passed away Friday, November 17, 2023.
A Memorial Service will be held 11:00 am Friday, November 24, 2023 at First Presbyterian Church, 100 South Pierce Avenue, Mason City, with Rev. Dr. Kenneth “Kip” Murphy officiating.
The family will greet relatives and friends beginning at 9:30 am until 11:00 am on Friday at the church.
Should friends desire, memorials may be left in his honor to Hospice of North Iowa or First Presbyterian Church.
Donald Ray Smith was welcomed to this world by his parents Raymond Maxwell and Myrtle Arlyne (Campbell) Smith on February 4, 1947, and he passed away on November 17, 2023. He was an only child and learned to be content with much or with little. He learned the value of a dollar from his dad and the art of being social from his mother. He attended Rockwell-Swaledale Schools, graduating with the class of 1965 and caused trouble with the best of them. He attended North Iowa Area Community College in Mason City, graduating with an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Refrigeration and Air Conditioning.
Don was a trained Journeyman Electrician (I.B.E.W.) through a 4-year apprenticeship. He worked for Dewey Electric from 1968 â 1984 where he was mentored and became a mentor through his union service, learning incredible leadership and communication skills. While working for Dewey on a job site at Unisys (Sperry) Corporation, he was offered the Electrical Maintenance Coordinator/Physical Plant Supervisor position for Unisys. In 1992, Unisys closed their Clear Lake plant and Don chose to stay in Iowa rather than move his family to Minnesota. He started his own electrical business called Smith Electric and worked as the Custodial/Room & Event Setup Supervisor for North Iowa Area Community College from 1992 â 2009. In this role, he held the special privilege of providing leadership in preparing the college for a visit by President Bill Clinton. Following retirement from NIACC, Don worked part-time at Fleet Farm for a brief time.
While a young man, he met his future wife, Rebecca (Becky) Christianson, on a blind date that almost didnât happen. Becky was expecting a call from âDonâ but when he called, he used his nickname âSmittyâ, and Becky did not know anyone named Smitty. Fortunately, they quickly overcame this and eventually married on October 16, 1971. Together, Don and Becky instilled values of hard work, faith, service, family, and fun to their three children: Angela, Cindy, and Kimberly.
Don was common sense sort of guy, well organized, tidy, could build or fix anything, and planned well. He took his role as provider very seriously. He loved baseball, the Iowa Hawkeyes, good movies, drinking coffee with friends, getting together for monthly lunches with the R-S class of â65, and a good bargain. Most of all, he loved his family and treasured spending time with them. He enjoyed his life, and he kept us laughing.
Don had a heart for others and was often thinking about how to make othersâ lives better and easier. While he was not one to covet accolades and often served others quietly, he did share his talents with his communities by serving on various boards and community organizations throughout his lifetime: he was active in the building of Linn Grove Golf Course, served as President of the Linn Grove Swimming Pool/Recreation, volunteered at the Mason City Community Kitchen, and served on the Village Cooperative Grounds Committee. Don was a member of First Presbyterian Church in Mason City where he served on Session for a time and was previously a member of St. Peterâs Lutheran Church in Rockwell.
Those left to cherish his memory are his wife Becky, and their children and families:
Angela Janel and Daniel DeCook, Pella
Cynthia Dawn Smith, San Diego, CA
Kimberly Dee and Chad Erickson, Norfolk, NE
Jacob Erickson
Matthew Erickson
Don is also survived by brothers-in-law Charles Christianson, Delmar Christianson, Larry (Marlene) Christianson, and sisters-in-law Esther (Dean) Childs, Alberta Christensen, and many nieces and nephews, and a lifetime of friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his parents-in-law Mandius (Buck) and Clara Christianson, his brother-in-law Mandius Christianson Jr. (Sonny), sister-in-law Kate Christianson, and several of his close friends.
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