James Smith

Funeral services for Dr. James Lee Smith, age 83, of Cookeville, will be at 1 p.m. Friday April 26 at Cookeville First Baptist Church. Pastor Scott McKinney will officiate. Interment with military honors will follow at Crest Lawn Cemetery. The family will receive friends Thursday from 4 - 8 p.m at Hooper Huddleston and Horner Funeral Home and again Friday from 11 a.m. until service time at the church. Dr. Smith left this life Sunday afternoon April 21, 2019 near his farm in Overton County, TN. He was born April 14, 1936 in Cookeville to the late Howard and Tena Taubert Smith. Dr. Smith graduated from Central High School in 1953. He received his pre-dentistry education from TTU in Cookeville and graduated from UT School of Dentistry in Memphis. He was inducted as a member into the Richard Doggett Dean and Marguerite Taylor Dean Honorary Odontological Society and the Oicron Kappa Upsilon Honorary Dental Society. He placed first in his class seven quarters out of twelve, excelling in Crown and Bridge. He served in the US Army during the Cuban Crisis and the Vietnam War era. Dr. Smith received intensive post graduate training in Oral Surgery at the Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, D.C. and post graduate courses in Restorative Dentistry at Letterman General Hospital and the University of California, San Francisco. Dr. Smith has been an active member on the Fourth District Dental Society since 1959. He served on the Board of Trustees for Cookeville Regional Medical Center for seven years and twelve years as a board member of the Upper Cumberland Children's Services Agency. Dr. Smith was a charter member of the Cookeville Jaycees for thirteen years. He has served as a board member of local banks for 39 years. Dr. Smith and his family have been active in competition water-skiing, boat racing, motor-cycle racing, horse shows, and field and trial dogs. He and his wife Margaret Ann were involved in barefoot water skiing, horses, and owned and operated a working cattle farm. Dr. Smith is a member of the Upper Cumberland Foundation Board of Nashville State Community College. He served on the Tennessee Board of Dentistry for eight years. Dr. Smith resided and practiced full time dentistry in Cookeville for over 60 years. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his two sons, James Michael "Mike" Smith (1996), Christopher "Chris" Lee Smith (2017), brother, Dr.Curt Smith (2012); father and mother-in-law, Alton and Lenora Witt; and sisters-in-law, Grace Penner and Kathleen Adams. He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Margaret Witt Smith, whom he married June 15 1957; granddaughter, Amanda Adkins, husband Wade; and grandsons Jared Smith, wife Sarah Beth, and William Smith; great-grandson, Hudson Adkins; brothers-in-law, Alton Witt Jr., wife Sandra, Hugh Adams, Joseph Penner; nieces, Cindy Russell, husband Bryan, Lisa Mabry; nephews, Jonathan Witt, wife Melissa, David Stein, David Penner, Jason Penner. Dr. Smith "bloomed where he was planted." He valued honesty, hard work, and taught these values to his children and grandchildren. He loved the Upper Cumberland. The farm land and people were dear to his heart. He put life in life, whether it was helping with children's horse shows, working in the dental office, attending board meetings, water skiing, or rounding up cattle. A light went out in the world, but the glow will remain. Pallbearers are Jared Smith, William Smith, Chase Bishop, Michael Dalton, Morgan Wells, and Devin Walker. Honorary pallbearers are Senator Paul Bailey, Joe Bertram, Jackie Borden, Dr. Steve Copeland, Bobby Davis, Sheriff Eddie Farris, Jackie Farris, Jerry Gaw, Paul Gaw, Harold Jackson, Bob Hill, Don Johnson, Jon Josephson, Johnny Nash, Andy Redus, Sam Sandlin, and Dr. Jim Vaden. Hooper Huddleston and Horner Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Share your thoughts and memories at www.hhhfunerals.com.