David Milton Smedley, 64, accepted a call to serve another mission in heaven on December 26, 2025, after a courageous battle with Post-Concussive Syndrome and advanced Lyme disease.
Dave was born November 6, 1961, in Ogden, Utah, the son of Wayne Thurgood and Maxine Stevenson Smedley. He was the sixth and last child, and the favorite. (He said his mom always told him so.) He was raised and educated in Syracuse and Layton, and grew up working in the family plumbing and heating business. He learned the trade of an electrician and later became the salesman and manager of the business. As with everything he undertook, he worked hard and became an excellent salesman. He loved meeting people and making connections. He blessed the lives of many, and they became his cherished and lifelong friends.
Dave married Kari Biddulph Dec 22, 1984, and they were sealed in the Salt Lake Temple. Together they raised five children, four daughters and one son. He was a loving husband and father who enjoyed spending every available moment with his family. He often said he would rather be with his kids than anyone else on earth. He enjoyed everything outdoors and took his children with him whenever possible—hunting, boating, camping, riding horses, or serving others. Many hours were spent working and playing together, and he utilized those times to teach his children the things that were important to him. His example of hard work, integrity, and service will be a legacy for his family to follow. He worked hard and he loved hard, but he also played hard, and we will miss his ability to find the joy in life. His love for his family expanded with bonus children (in-laws) and especially grandchildren. He loved his grandbabies, and they will definitely miss “Papa” and his drawer full of treats.
Dave loved helping others. Even after he retired, he would make it a point to help service the HVAC equipment in the homes of his elderly widowed clients (the kids called them his “old girlfriends”). He never accepted payment, except for a hug or a plate of cookies. He was also the neighborhood lawn mower and snow blower. He loved to stop and chat and check in on his neighbors, always in shorts, no matter the weather.
Many family memories were made hunting and playing on the Richins’ property in Henefer. “Daddy Long Legs” (or “Billy” – short for “Billy goat”) would hike for miles, uphill or down, hunting or hiking, with kids in tow. They got to know every hill and valley on the property and loved spending time in the outdoors. The Richins remained good friends long after the hunting days were over.
He had a need for speed, even from a young age. He rode his bike all over Syracuse, and as he and his bank account grew, so did his toys. He loved his dirt bikes, his trucks, and his cars. He especially loved his 2004, candy apple red, twin turbo, methanol-injected (and chrome-laden) Corvette. All the kids learned to drive a stick in his car, and he delighted in taking people on some pretty fast rides. It was his fun toy, and he enjoyed it immensely, but he enjoyed sharing it most of all.
Dave was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He served in the Missouri Independence Mission, an experience that began a lifetime of dedicated and faithful service to the Lord. He loved missionary work and was always excited to share the gospel. He had a close relationship with his mission president, talking to President Barker several times a week, and spoke to him just a few days before he passed away. He served in the bishopric and on the high council, but his greatest love was working with the young men. He had a great ability to relate to them and gain their trust because they knew he loved them. He was always happy to serve. His testimony was best seen in the way he lived.
After he was forced by his condition to retire, he spent the next seven years attending the temple weekly in both the Bountiful and Manti temples. He loved to be in the temple, especially doing sealings. The sealers became his dear friends.
Dave is survived by his wife of 41 years, his children, Shiree (Kelly) Volkert, Jessica Pearson, Breanna (Tanner) Petroff, Sterling Smedley, and Mikelle (Caleb) Drake, and 10 grandchildren. We can’t forget his best furry friend, his service dog Oakley, who will be lost without him. He is also survived by his siblings, Kathy Smedley, Michael (Babe) Smedley, Tammy (Gary) Boam, and Randy (Lynda) Smedley, and numerous nieces and nephews and their families. He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother Douglas Smedley, and his nephews, Matthew Boam and Branson Harward, and niece, Laila Rigby. The family wishes to thank the sweet nurses from IHC Hospice in Mount Pleasant, especially Tammy, Kallie, and Kelsie, for their tender care in his last days.
There will be a viewing at Rasmussen Mortuary in Mount Pleasant, Friday, January 2, from 6:30–8:00 pm. There will be a viewing Saturday, January 3, at the church located at 2680 E Cherry Lane, Layton, from 10:00 am–12:30 pm, followed by the funeral at 1:00 pm. Interment will be at the Lindquist Mortuary in Layton.
You may also like the following events from Rasmussen Mortuary Mount Pleasant, Utah:
Also check out other
Trips & Adventurous Activities in Mount Pleasant,
Kids events & activities in Mount Pleasant,
Meetups in Mount Pleasant.
