In Memoriam: Steven G. Smith; Services to be announced
Steven G. Smith, age 46, and a lifelong resident of Fort Myers Beach, passed unexpectedly in his sleep on Easter Sunday, April 12, 2009.
Steve married his high school sweetheart Lisa Woerner in 1982 at St. Raphael’s Church on Fort Myers Beach, and she remained the great love of his life throughout the nearly 27 years of their marriage.
Steve is also survived by his children, Anthony; Anthony’s wife, Viviana; Michael Paul; and Jacob; sisters Gini Smith of Fort Myers and Terri Walrod (Jim) of Ann Arbor, Michigan; and by several nieces and nephews, all of whom adored him. He, in turn, loved all of them very much, and was an important guiding force in their lives.
His father, Paul G. Smith, predeceased him. His mother, Roxie Smith, is a Fort Myers Beach resident and well-known Lee County and Fort Myers Beach community leader.
Steve and his sisters grew up on Fort Myers Beach at the Pink Shell Resort, then a family-owned-and-operated cottage resort. His grandfather, Bob Davis, (who, with wife, Johnnie, started the Pink Shell) believed if the kids were old enough to say, “Hello” they were old enough to work at the resort. Steve began delivering papers to resort guests with his grandfather at age 5 and never looked back. He worked at the resort in various capacities until the family sold it in 1989.
While school was not easy for him, he went on to get his real estate license; to successfully complete firefighter training; to complete a degree in Architectual Drafting; and to obtain his general contractor’s license. Steve loved the building industry and took great pride in the work he did. He also loved gardening and grew beautiful flowers. He was also involved for several years when his boys were younger in the Boy Scouts of America and was for several years a Little League coach.
Steve and his cohorts were among a very lucky few who grew up in the days of skiing on the back bays and traveling everywhere they wanted to go by boat. He knew the waters surrounding the island by heart and knew the location of every snook hole in the area. He was in every sense of the word a true beach boy.