The Honorable William "Bill" Thomas Smith, Jr.

June 22, 1930 - January 9, 2021

The Honorable William "Bill" T. Smith, Jr., - KD4HQB, of Columbia, passed away on January 9, 2021, at the age of 90. Born and raised in Greensboro, North Carolina, he was the only son of the late William T. Smith, Sr., and Maude B. Smith, and he was married to Peggy W. Smith for 72 years. Bill graduated from Greensboro High School and attended Guilford College. Bill’s early life included a successful sales career with A. M. Corporation and Johnson & Johnson Corporation, followed by expanding the Columbia restaurant, Captain’s Kitchen, to other South Carolina cities. In 1974, Bill successfully ran for the office of Dentsville Magistrate and was appointed as Magistrate Judge by Governor James Edwards in 1975. He proudly served the people of Richland County as a judge for 27 years. Bill taught orientation classes for many incoming South Carolina judges during his tenure. He retired when he was 72 years old and was a lifelong member of The Summary Court Judges Association. Bill had many hobbies which included golf and bridge, but hunting was his favorite passion. Trips to Argentina and South Africa were some of the highlights of his hunting experiences. After retirement, he and Peggy were fortunate enough to travel and cruise extensively, exploring many areas of the world. They enjoyed making these memories as they took in beautiful sights and adventures. Bill was an active member of North Trenholm Baptist Church for over 60 years and was a member of the Woody Howle Sunday School Class. He was honored to serve as a deacon. In addition to his wife, Bill is survived by his three sons, W. Phillip Smith (Francine), Richard H. “Pat” Smith (Sissy), and Michael N. Smith (Susan), all of Columbia; two granddaughters, Christy S. Crow of Columbia, and Alison S. Kim (Tony) of Cumming, GA; step-grandson, Brandon Lowe (Tricia) of Westfield, NC; three great-granddaughters, Katie Crow of Columbia, Reagan Kim and Lucy Kim of Cumming, GA; also a step-granddaughter, Tracey Cook and her family, a great-grandson, Brandon Long; great-granddaughters, Nicole Miller and Emaline Browder; great-great-grandson, Cameron Browder and great-great-granddaughter, Hannah Miller, all of Portsmouth, VA. For the safety of others during the Covid pandemic, a private memorial service will be held at 1:30 o’clock, Tuesday, January 12th, at Shives Funeral Home, Trenholm Road Chapel, 7600 Trenholm Road Ext., Columbia. A live webcast of the service can be viewed at www.shivesfuneralhome.com. A recording of the service will also be posted on Bill’s obituary page on the Shives Funeral Home website.