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Hugh T Smith (Smitty), 90, of Spokane Valley passed away Thursday, Aug. 7, 2014. He was born March 12, 1924, in Brewster, Wash. He was married to Anita M Smith for 67 years, he was also was survived by his sister Alice Deleganes from Portland, Ore.

Smith and his father were  carpenters employed on the Grand Coulee Dam project Smitty chose to work with his dad for the same pay instead of going to high school.  Long before he picked up carpenter's tools, however, he remembered sharing a slice of watermelon with Franklin Delano Roosevelt on one of the president's trips to the site. In 1942 Dam work ended and Smitty joined the Army. He was a proud U.S. Army veteran, having served in World War II.

A service will be held at 3 p.m., Thursday Sep. 4, 2014 at the Veterans Cemetery in Medical Lake, Wash.  It will be followed by a reception at VFW Post 51 Hall at 300 W. Mission hosted by the Military order of the Purple Heart.