Army Vet and Former State Trooper, Fred Theodore Smith, Dies

Fred Theodore Smith of Carrollton, died on Thursday evening, Jan. 16. Mr. Smith was born in Polk County, Georgia on May 20, 1928 to the late Jessie Edward Smith and the late Annie McGee Smith of Cedartown, Georgia.

Mr. Smith is survived by his wife of 58 years, Louise Harwell Smith, of Carrollton, Georgia; a daughter, Vickie Louise Stewart, and her husband, David, of Carrollton, Georiga; a son, Kenneth Fred Smith, and his wife Celia, of Bremen, Georgia; a brother, Howard O’Neal Smith of Melbourne, Florida; a grandson, Ryan Harwell Kelley, and his wife, Sara, of Villa Rica, Georgia and a granddaughter, Laura Smith Warren, and her husband, Ryan, of Adel, Georgia; and a great-granddaughter, Kaylee Alexis Warren also of Adel, Georgia.

Besides his parents, Mr. Smith was preceded in death by brothers, Paul Edward Smith, Jerry Ellis Smith, James Arthur Smith, Willie Ellery Smith, all of Cedartown, Georgia; sisters, Lois Arlene Hill of College Park, Georgia, Jessi e Farrell Johnson of Ellenwood, Georgia, Mary Leola Baldwin of Cedartown, Georgia and Evelyn Annie McPherson of Melbourne, Florida.

Mr. Smith became a member of Tabernacle Baptist Church in Carrollton, Georgia in 1987 when he retired from the State of Georgia, having served with the State thirty seven and a half years. Prior to moving to Carrollton, he had been a member of the Second Baptist Church in Griffin, Georgia, and in his earlier years, he had been a member of the Eastern Heights Baptist Church in Statesboro, Georgia.

Mr. Smith joined the U.S. Army in January, 1947, serving three years. Mr. Smith made two trips overseas to Sendai, Japan, where he was stationed with the 11th Airborne Division. Due to family illness, Mr. Smith came back to the states and was then transferred to the 82nd Airborne Division at Ft. Bragg, N.C., where he completed the remainder of his tour of duty. Mr. Smith was an accomplished parachutist and made many jumps while in Japan and at Ft. Bragg, N. C. After ending his military service in January, 1950, Mr. Smith reentered Cedartown Georgia High School and graduated in May, 1951. After graduation, Mr. worked for various companies until he found his calling in the field of Law Enforcement. He started his career with Gulf Life Insurance Company and then went on to work at the Lockheed Aircraft Company. He later took a position with the Chevrolet Division of General Motors. Mr. Smith applied for and was accepted as a Georgia State Trooper in 1962, and was stationed for three years at the Villa Rica post.

Later he was promoted to an Investigator with the Georgia Forestry Commission, serving in Milledgeville and Statesboro, Georgia for over six years. He then advanced to the position of Investigator in the Arson and Fraud Department of the State Fire Marshall’s Office. He held this position for almost twenty five years until his retirement in 1985. Mr. Smith attended night classes at the Gordon Military College in Barnesville, Georgia and received his degree in Law Enforcement in June, 1973. Gordon Military College later became part of the University System of Georgia. Mr. Smith instructed specialized Law Enforcement during the seminars at the Center of Continuing Education in Athens, Georgia.

Funeral services will be conducted at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 19, from Martin & Hightower Heritage Chapel with Dr. J. Howard Cobble officiating. Interment will follow in Carroll Memory Gardens with Rev. Keith Jones presiding. The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Saturday from 4 until 7 p.m.

Messages of condolence may be sent to the family at www.martin-hightower.com. Martin & Hightower Heritage Chapel of Carrollton has charge of the arrangements. 

View the online memorial here.