Kenneth Dwight Smith of Boise, Idaho sadly left us on Jan. 17, 2024. He was surrounded by family in his final hours.
Ken was born to George and Verneda Smith on Aug. 25, 1944. He was a multi-faceted man with many interests. He was a talented athlete who enjoyed playing sports, running track, and playing football at Twin Fall High School. During his high school years, Ken fought wildfires in Idaho. After graduating high school, Ken served in the First Marine Division of the Marine Corps. He was a Vietnam combat veteran. During his service, he was awarded the following medals: Rifle Sharpshooter Badge, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, and the Good Conduct Medal. After his discharge, he returned to Idaho and began a career of truck driving with Browning Freight Lines, Fred Myers, and UPS. He retired from truck driving and bought a dairy farm in the Jerome area. After selling the dairy, he took up his most loved passion of rod building. He was sole owner of Classic Rods of Idaho. He was known across the United States for the high quality, beautiful fly and spinning rods that he made for congressmen, Senator Crapo, US President George W. Bush, and hundreds of his friends. You could consider yourself lucky if you had a rod built by Ken or one of his beautiful hand turned pen made from exotic wood.
Ken has delighted in sharing his many skills with family members, friends and the community. He has taught his daughters, his sister, and friend Gary how to turn pens. He taught classes at a local high school on tying flies. He shared his rod building knowledge with his son-in-law Rob and passed the business on to him. He loved to teach family members how to fish, especially taking an interest in his grandchildren. Ken was always generous with his time, knowledge, talents, and skills.
Ken is remembered for the many close friends that he made throughout his lifetime. Whenever, he visited the VA grounds he was known to strike up a conversation with whomever he ran into. He opened the conversation with “What branch of the service were you in?” and then continued to chat back and forth with the new found friend and fellow service person. He had a passion for fishing and hunting. In his free time, he could be seen casting a line in the Richfield Canal or the Salmon River, fishing on the Oregon Coast, Canada, and Alaska, sitting in a duck blind on the Snake River, or hunting pheasants in Southern Idaho. He loved to share his bounty with friends and family. He loved BSU football and hosted most of our tailgate parties. We even took the show on the road with a tailgate party in Salt Lake City when we visited brother Glen and family. When he moved to Arbor Valley, the BSU tailgate and watch parties continued through his final season with his brother Larry, his sister Radenne, his friends Jeff Alexander and Joe Logan. Throughout his life, Ken has loved his dogs. In the later years of his life, he had his best friend Tank, a black lab, by his side.
He was preceded in death by his parents George and Verneda Smith, and his siblings Glen Smith and Sharon Gailey. He is survived by his two siblings, Larry Smith (and wife Vangie) and Radenne English, his four daughters and their families, Wendy and Teresa Shell, Jody Lyngar, Jayma and Monika Hoyt, and Kendri and Rob Lengkeek. He has the love of his many nephews, nieces, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Ken’s family would like to recognize Harrison’s Hope Hospice and Arbor Valley staff for the exceptional care given to Ken.
Ken’s family will host a funeral service and reception on Monday, February 12, 2024, at 11:00 am. The service with be at Bowman’s Funeral Home in Boise Idaho. As a show of support, you are invited to honor Ken by wearing a touch of his favorite color-red.
He will be truly missed by those who knew him best.