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In memory of

Joe Adrian Smith

Tacoma, WA, USA

July 22, 1951 - May 22, 2021

Jul 22, 1951 - May 22, 2021

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Joe Smith, 69, left us on May 22, 2021, with his family by his side in Tacoma, WA. Dad had back surgery on April 29 for a long term problem that left him mainly immobile and in excruciating pain. The main concern post surgery was his loss of blood which was remedied with a transfusion. A few days later he had a respiratory emergency and was put on life support. The cause seemed to be an infection of some sort, possibly pneumonia. The situation didn't get better and there were many issues following which led to some critical organ failure. After a long and arduous process he was taken off life support on the 22nd.
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He was born on July 22,1951, in Hastings, MN to Leslie and Geneva Smith. His father was a cattle health technician/breeder. His mother raised him and his brothers Frank and John. They moved to Tacoma in 1968. He met his future wife Diane at a high school dance, they later married and had a daughter, Elizabeth; and two sons, Joseph and Thomas.

Joe attended Clover Park High School, graduated class of '71 and Clover Park Technical School where he studied printing in Lakewood, WA and shortly after worked for the City of Tacoma on a printing press for the next 25 years.

His unique interests included listening to police scanners at home in case of a fire so he could go watch the events unfold, extensively documenting various cities' power grids and power lines, taking apart any electronic device he could find, and growing his model train collection. He spent much of his time at home after a work-related injury in the late 1990s pursuing these various hobbies and enjoying welcoming new grandchildren to the family.

Mr. Smith is survived by his wife, Diane Smith; brother, Frank Smith; daughter, Elizabeth Smith; 2 sons and their spouses, Joseph and Emily Smith, Thomas and Carrie Smith; and 6 grandchildren; all of whom he dearly loved.

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