David Franklin Smith's Obituary
David Franklin Smith
May 20, 1934 – September 12, 2017
David Franklin Smith, 83, of Scottsboro, AL, passed away Tuesday, September 12, 2017 after a heart attack.
David was born in Stevenson, Alabama on May 20, 1934. He graduated from Auburn University (then API) in 1956 with a degree in Textile Engineering. While at Auburn he pledged Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity, where he made many lifelong friends. He served as president of his fraternity and was later honored by Upsilon chapter as the Clarence Allgood Outstanding Alumnus. He served Auburn in SGA and IFC and was honored by the Who’s Who, Phi Psi, ODK and Blue Key Honorary societies and was tapped for Spades, Auburn’s top 10 men. He continued to serve and love Auburn throughout his life, serving as a Director for the Auburn Alumni Association, member of the 1856 club, and foundation donor for the Ralph Brown Draughan library.
After graduating from Auburn, he served in the U.S. Army at Ft Knox, Kentucky, and was eventually promoted to Captain in the U.S. Army reserves. After marriage, he moved to Cleveland, Tennessee, where he co-founded Permna Color, Inc. He pioneered the industrial process for stonewashing blue jeans and grew the company to become one of the premier garment dying companies in the United States. He was a member of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Cleveland, where he served on 27 vestries, was the stewardship chairman, and co-founded the Men’s Friday Morning prayer breakfast.
He was instrumental in the formation and operations of the Bradley County Food Bank, and served on the boards of directors of Junior Achievement, Cleveland United Way, Cleveland Bradley Chamber of Commerce, Cleveland Associated Industries, and Southeastern Association of Textile Manufacturers. He was recognized twice as Volunteer of the Year for the United Way and was awarded the M.C. Headrick Free Enterprise Award by the Cleveland Bradley Chamber of Commerce. He retired to Scottsboro in 2009.
David is preceded in death by his parents, John David and Betty Rudder Smith, his first wife, Harriett Hill Smith, and his daughter, Carrie Smith Lawson. He is survived by his wife, Jean Dawson Stockburger Smith of Scottsboro, daughter Margaret Smith (Jack) Kubiszyn, and grandsons John David Kubiszyn and Daniel Rudder Kubiszyn of Birmingham, his stepchildren John Scott Stockburger (Andrea), Staci Fritzges (Chris) and Sean Stockburger (Jennifer) and grandchildren Sophia and Clara Stockburger, Jack and Ashton Fritzges and Violet and Owen Stockburger.
A memorial service will be held on Friday, September 15 at 2 p.m. at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Scottsboro, Alabama. Visitation with the family will precede the service from 12-2 pm in Bradford Hall. The internment will be held on Tuesday, September 19 at 1:00 at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Cleveland, Tennessee.
The family asks that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the
Carrie Smith Lawson Memorial Scholarship Fund
c/o Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga
1270 Market Street
Chattanooga, TN 37402
www.cfgc.org
Condolences maybe made at [email protected]
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