James Arnett Smith

Aiken-Jim Smith,80, wonderful husband, the best dad on the planet, and the most humble genius you would ever meet, passed into eternity on May 13. The son of James Yeoman Smith and Mary Shepherd Thompson, Jim was born October 5, 1929 in Florham Park, NJ. He always said that he was the reason for the stock market crash. He later lived in New York, Ohio, and Texas, after which he attended high school and junior college in the Panama Canal Zone. He continued his education at Ohio State culminating in a Ph.D. in Theoretical Nuclear Physics. The next year (1954), he began working for DuPont at the Savannah River Plant and retired in 1989. He continued to contract with Westinghouse until 1991. In 1955, he met the woman of his dreams, Rachael, and remained married to her until his death. Dr. Smith (just call him Jim) was a quiet man, but ridiculously smart. Even more remarkable was his humility. He was the consummate problem-solver. Even after retirement, he’d continue to find ways to help in the community volunteering at the Aiken library or helping others with their taxes. He wrote programs to simulate both city traffic patterns and board games for fun in between crossword puzzles and book-reading. His closing years were difficult for all of us, but especially so for the man who had taught us all how to think with keen precision. Even then, in the face of the daily sense of loss, he walked through it with poise and grace. Jim has now joined his brother, George Smith, who died in Okinawa near the end of World War II. He leaves behind the following family members: his wife, Rachael Nichols Smith; his eldest son, Mark Yeoman Smith and his family including wife, Shannon, and daughters Amber and Alyssa; his number two son, Wayne Alan Smith and his family including wife, Suzanne, and daughter, Amy; his sister, Leona Ruth Smith Richardson, and his half-brother, Thomas Eyton-Jones. We miss him terribly, but are thankful for all those wonderful memories of laughter, games, vacations, living life and growing up (or old) together. Funeral services will be held Sunday, May 16 at 3:00 pm at Shellhouse Funeral Home Chapel with the Reverend Mike Phillips officiating. Entombment will follow at Sunset Memorial Mausoleum. In lieu of flowers Memorials may by directed to Aiken Co. Library, 314 Chesterfield St., Aiken, SC 29801. The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 pm Saturday May 15, at Shellhouse Funeral Home, 924 Hayne Ave., Aiken, SC 29801. Please visit Mr. Smith’s online guest book at www.shellhousefuneralhome.com. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of James Arnett Smith, please visit our flower store.