Verle Marshall Smith
05/27/43 - 11/27/12
There will be a memorial service for Verle at 1pm, 12/2/12 at:
River View Cemetery
300 SW Taylor's Ferry Road
Portland Oregon
97219
Born in Lethbridge, Alberta on 5/27/43 to Harold Smith and Lena Kostiuk and raised in Los Angeles. He was married to Pamela Harris for 43 years. He died unexpectedly on 11/27/12. Verle was a Marine in Vietnam and a Peace Corps volunteer in Sierra Leone, West Africa. He taught secondary and college math for 41 years in LA and Portland. He loved traveling, running, music, cooking, gardening and spending time with family and friends. He was a tireless volunteer for many causes, including the Western Farmworkers Association and the Democratic Party.
He is survived by his wife, son Sean (Asli) Smith, daughter Danielle (Guillermo) Ramos, granddaughter Adissa, father, sister Gayle Gates and father in-law Luke Harris. He will be missed by all who knew him.
In lieu of flowers, donations to:
Western Farmworkers Association
725 SE 7th Ave
Hillsboro 97123
503-681-9399
I am sure Verle will be missed by the many people who knew him. I appreciated his care for his students (my daughter was one of them who loved him), his enthusiasm for life and travel, and his generosity to his fellow beings. Happy Trails to you Senior Berle.
ReplyDeleteVerle was our dear neighbor for the 13 years we lived on his street. He was the epitome of kindness, generosity and neighborliness. If you needed a tool, he had it. If you didn't know how to use it, he did. He shared garlic, onions, skills and wisdom. He was a neighborhood treasure. Godspeed, dear Verle!
ReplyDeleteGreg, Barbara, Sarah and Sam
Verle and Pam have been wonderful neighbors and friends to everyone on Jan Tree Court. They both welcomed our family when we moved here a few years ago, and were always up for a friendly and helpful conversation and hearty laugh. We'll miss getting to know Verle better, but running the loops and paths he recommended around the area will be a lasting reminder of his wonderful spirit.
ReplyDeleteElaine & Alec Hirsch
My wife Jamie and I got to know Verle at the SW Community Center gym over the years. We will miss him very much. Verle always had a smile on his face and a kind word for us and our family. Verle knew Jamie and I as we dated, fell in love and were married, as we raised our nephew Nolan who is now 3 years old, through Jamie's pregnancy, and the birth of our son Stellan who is now 16 months old. Verle always greeted us warmly and asked about our life and our children, and shared with us the joy he felt at becoming a grandparent. I always enjoyed discussing politics and social justice issues with Verle, he was a kind and caring person who Jamie and I will miss very much.
ReplyDeleteMarshal and Jamie Jevning (and Nolan and Stellan)
I just heard about Mr. Smith's passing today and was stunned. I just saw him last week. As we laid and did sit-ups together, we talked about our families, how excited he was to be a grandfather. And I can hardly believe that he's not here anymore. I have known him for about 25 years now, since I was young. He was one of the good ones, one who made an impact on others lives. Always so kind. Every time I saw him, he greeted me with a smile. I will miss him and look forward to seeing him again one day.
ReplyDelete